Charles Nkosi inspects the
mural at the
Umlazi teamIn 1977 the architectural firm Franklin, Garland and Gibson approached the African Art Centre with the idea of commissioning artists to paint murals in the Umlazi Tavern. Duke Ketye, Peter Shange, Charles Nkosi, Joseph Ndlovu and George Msimang undertook the commission to the great satisfaction of the architects, who later received a South African Institute of Architects award for the Tavern.
At the time, Joseph Ndlovu was organiser of the Institute of Race Relations Youth Programme, and Charles Nkosi was involved in the programme running art classes. Both Charles Nkosi inspects the mural at the Umlazi Tavern had trained at Rorke's Drift and are examples of how training filtered through to informal art workshops.
Several efforts were made in 1978 to introduce the concept of indigenous art and craft into interior decoration in homes and hotels. An exhibition was held in the beautiful colonial home of Brian and Ester Lee in Bellair and an exhibition of Rorke's Drift weavings and ceramics was held at the Corobrick Exhibition Centre.
A more ambitious exhibition was held at the Royal Hotel in 1979, with the intention of showing developers, architects and interior decorators the wide variety of hand Grafted articles available, and of illustrating how art and craft can be integrated into homes, hotels and public buildings to give a unique South African character.
Businesses in KwaZulu-Natal have still not ventured in any significant way into black South African art expression, although individuals have integrated African art and craft into their homes. And some architects have commissioned Rorke's Drift weavings or rugs for their buildings-notably the two tapestries designed by Gordon Mbatha. Dick King's Ride, which hangs in the foyer of the Old Mutual building in Field Street, and The History of Durban in the University of Natal library.
Judus Mahlangu
Judus Mahlangu, who was born in Prakpan In 1951 and trained at the Rorke's Drift Art School in the early 1970s, had his work accepted on both the 1975 and 1975 Art: South Africa: Today exhibitions. In the 1975 show he was singled out for special mention by judge Clement Greenburg.
He went on to train at Bill Ainslie's Studio in 1976 and 1977, where he learned the technique of colour etching. In 1979 Mahlangu exhibited etchings at the African Art Centre. The exhibition was well reviewed by critics, who were particularly impressed with the small colour etchings - as apparently was the Graphics Department of the Natal Technikon, who invited him to be a guest lecturer.
Mahlangu has exhibited extensively both in South Africa and overseas, and has work in the Durban Art Gallery, Killie Campbell Museum and the University of South Africa. As with a number of other Rorke's Drift graduates, he has worked as a graphic artist for South African Television.
