Johannes Phokela

Johannes Phokela (born 1966[1]) is a South African painter and sculptor.

Johannes Phokela
Born1966 (age 56–57)
Soweto, South Africa
NationalitySouth African

Background

Johannes Phokela was born in Soweto, South Africa in 1966 and trained under Durant Sihlali.[2]

When Phokela was a child he witnessed the Soweto uprising and later created memorials regarding the event,[3] including a statue of Teboho MacDonald Mashinini on the grounds of Morris Isaacson High School unveiled on 1 May 2010,[4] and a large sculptural mural of a book sitting in a lot opposite of the school.[3]

Phokela began his studies at the Federated Union of Black Artists, Johannesburg before concluding his studies at the Royal College of Art, London.[5]

Phokela has lived and worked in both London and Johannesburg.[1][6]

Career

Phokela's artistic practice is primarily composed of oil on canvas painting in the style of older Dutch Golden Age painting, often Phokela's paintings will include white grids as well.[5]

On the topic of the production of art, Phokela had stated "Once you have the work it doesn’t really matter who produced it what counts is the quality. But unfortunately, the contemporary international art scene has this tendency to dwell on the background of the artist”[7]

Exhibitions
  • Johannes Phokela, Rack Gallery, London, May - July 1998[8]
  • Johannes Phokela, I like my Neighbours, Johannesburg, South Africa; Gallery MOMO, 2009[9]
  • Johannes Phokela, The World of the Sacred and the Profane, Johannesburg, South Africa; Gallery AOP, 2015[6]
  • Johannes Phokela, ONLY SUN IN THE SKY KNOWS HOW I FEEL – (A LUCID DREAM), Cape Town, Zeitz Mocaa Museum, 2021

References
  1. "Johannes Phokela". africa.si.edu. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  2. Vitamin P₂ : new perspectives in painting. Hasting, Julia., Schwabsky, Barry. London: Phaidon. 2011. ISBN 9780714861609. OCLC 755713379.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  3. Miller, Kim; Schmahmann, Brenda, eds. (20 September 2017). "Bronze Warriors and Plastic Presidents". Public Art in South Africa: Bronze Warriors and Plastic Presidents. Indiana University Press. doi:10.2307/j.ctt20060c0.12. ISBN 9780253030108. JSTOR j.ctt20060c0.
  4. "Unveiling of the Tsietsi Mashinini statue". joburg.org.za. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  5. Haines, Bruce (Fall 2002). "Johannes Phokela". Nka: Journal of Contemporary African Art. 2002 (16–17): 48–53. doi:10.1215/10757163-16-17-1-48. S2CID 201784383.
  6. Corrigall, Mary (29 October 2015). "Johannes Phokela messes with the Western art cannon's masters". The M&G Online. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  7. Rovine, Victoria L. (2004). "South Africa from North America: Exporting Identities through Art". African Arts. 37 (4): 48–95. doi:10.1162/afar.2004.37.4.48. ISSN 0001-9933.
  8. O'Kane, Paul (1 June 1998). "Johannes Phokela". Third Text. 12 (43): 103–104. doi:10.1080/09528829808576743. ISSN 0952-8822.
  9. Zvomuya, Percy (12 February 2009). "History lesson". The M&G Online. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
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