House and Leisure - October 2015

for more

coverage of the

local art

scene

go to

ho

us

ea

ndleisure.c

o.

za

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Zama Phakathi;

‘The Loved Ones’ by Wayne Barker; ‘Qunu 2’

by Phillemon Hlungwani; Loyiso Mkize’s ‘Wena

weZulu’; ‘Vergifnis’ by Jotam Schoeman.

This accidental gallery owner focuses on bringing

awareness to the business of art

TEXT GRAHAM WOOD PHOTOGRAPHS GRAEME WYLLIE (PORTRAIT), SUPPLIED

zama phakathi

What art would you buy with R5 000?

Clothes and shoes. If I had that much

money to spend on art I’d know more

money was coming. R10 000? I would

sponsor an art project because there

is no funding out there at all for artists.

R50 000? I would buy works by Samson

Mnisi and Vusi Khumalo, and a piece

from Gary Stephens’ recent ‘Scarf’

series. I’d get a portrait of myself done

by Jotam Schoeman. R500 000? A

work by Phillemon Hlungwani and a

new car. R1 000 000? More pieces by

Phillemon Hlungwani – in fact, I would

buy more works by all my favourite

artists. I would also invest in upcoming

artists by sponsoring workshops for them.

Which one artwork do you regret not

buying? Last year, at Rubixcube Gallery

in Maboneng, Jotam Schoeman did a

drawing of the Cosmopolitan Hotel in

town. I met the guy who bought it later

and was so jealous. Which single artist’s

work should our readers buy right now?

Loyiso Mkize, who is based in Cape Town.

He does amazing portraits. I’d definitely

L

look out for him. He’s also got a comic-

book series that I sell at the gallery. New

artists you’ve got your eye on? Modise

Sepeng and Jotam Schoeman. Who is

currently seriously big on the local art

scene? Wayne Barker. His exhibition at

CIRCA Gallery was packed. Everyone

wanted to be there. You could barely walk

through the exhibit. Which local artists are

doing well on the international market at

the moment? Samson Mnisi – he’s out of

this world – and Ayanda Mabulu, who did

the Zuma painting. He’s very interesting.

I’m doing an exhibition with him later this

year. Who is your favourite contemporary

local artist? Gary Stephens. I loved his

exhibition at Everard Read Johannesburg,

which was all about headscarves. What is

your all time favourite artwork and artist?

Jean-Michel Basquiat: everything about

him, all his work. I love his thinking.

ast year Zama Phakathi opened

Stop Sign Art Gallery – a space in

Maboneng, Johannesburg, dedicated

to up-and-coming South African artists

that’s now part of the 27 Boxes project in

Melville – in a shipping container. Although

she studied directing and had worked in TV

production Zama ended up as a coordinator

for the Soweto Art Residency. There she

found herself receiving portfolio after

portfolio from promising young artists.

‘It got to a point where I had so many

portfolios I decided to open a place that

would give them a platform to show their

work,’ she says. ‘That’s how it came about.’

Zama has ventured back into her original

medium, too, with the recent TV show Zama’s

Art Gallery on DStv Channel 190. ‘It’s about

art and business and creativity,’ she says.

‘Artists need to know how to make money

using their talent.’ She’s already helped to

uncover a heap of talent and is dedicated to

the idea of art as a consciousness-raising,

spiritual and inspirational medium. Stop

Sign Art Gallery, 27 Boxes, 3rd/4th Ave,

Melville, bon.fb.me/1hHP1Zp

46 HL OCTOBER 2015 HOUSEANDLEISURE.CO.ZA

TRENDS ART SMART

1015_HL_046_Art Smart_Zama_RFO.indd 2 2015/09/02 4:30 PM