Azaria Mbatha

 

A significant event arising out of the African Art Centre's new contact with Rorke's Drift in 1965 was the discovery of Azaria Mbatha. Born in 1941 in Mahlabathini, Zululand, Mbatha was introduced to linoprinting in 1962, while a patient at the Ceza Hospital. Two years later he moved to Rorke's Drift to work.


The first commandment

A letter from Peder Gowenius dated February 22, 1965, and addressed to African Art Centre staff member Jim Thorpe, reads:

"Dear Mr Thorpe. One of the few men trained at our School is Mr Azaria Mbatha. He has got a house at our place but works now out of his own. In my opinion he has got great talent. He sells quite a lot in Europe and America, but so far little has been sold in South Africa. He has asked me to write this letter and introduce him... I believe he will send you some of his linoprints. I would be happy if you could help him to sell some of his work. He will probably, at the end of the year leave for further studies abroad. Yours sincerely Peder Gowenius.”

Shortly after the letter was received a roll of Mbatha's linocut prints arrived at the Art Centre. To say anything less than that we were bowled over by them would be an understatement.

That they were done by an African artist was itself a revelation at a time when so little of high calibre in the way of African art had been experienced in our closed society. The excitement of the discovery was tremen­dous. So impressed were we with the collection that, in April 1965, Jim Thorpe arranged an exhibition of his work in the foyer of the Durban Municipal Library.


Cain and Abel

Mbatha's linocut prints were almost entirely a depiction of stories from the Bible. His early works were simple, with a large amount of lino cut away as, for example, in The First Commandment and Cain and Abel. More narrative panels such as Nebuchadnezzar and Moses soon developed. Some of his prints at this time included written text describing biblical events.

Our faith in his talent was confirmed at the 1965 Art: South Africa: Today exhibition, where The Revelation of St John won the Cambridge Shirt award and was bought by the National Gallery. In a review of the exhibition Neville Dubow described the work as 'far and away the most interesting' in the graphic section, and as a 'graphic description of medieval iconography in an African medium'. His work was also bought by the World Council of Churches in Geneva.

It is sometimes thought that Azaria Mbatha was not recognised as an important South African artist until much later than 1965. However, a file of correspondence spanning 1965 to I 969 reveals that, after the exhibition in the library foyer, great interest began to be shown in his work. A letter dated May 4, 1965, from Jim Thorpe to Azaria Mbatha shows that Thorpe had given him some paper, and had offered to send more. This was helpful, since the early prints had been done on rather poor paper.

Growing recognition of Mbatha's work resulted in an increasing demand for his prints. All major South African public galleries acquired his work.

Among the early collectors were architect Norman Eaton and artist Professor Walter Battis, who bought prints for the University of South Africa Fine Arts Department and the Department of Native Education. Native Education also bought a large Rorke's Drift Tapestry, Cattle Scene, for R750: the payment voucher was signed on their behalf by future President FW de Klerk.

Further exciting recognition of Azaria Mbatha's talents came with the acceptance of two of his linocuts by the Museum of Modern Art in New York. It was the first time graphic prints by an African artist were included in the Museum's collection. Azaria was undoubtedly at the time the only South African artist represented in the Museum of Modern Art.

During the 1960s correspondence reveals many requests for particular prints, lists of prints sold and the accounting of prices ranging from R2 to R12. His work has been exhibited subsequently and is in gallery collections in many parts of the world including Sweden, the United Britain, Belgium, Italy and Germany.

As Mbatha's writing was not clear, titles were sometimes misread and sold as such. One I particularly remember was quoted far and wide as The Eunuch is Converted on the Road to Gaza. The correct title, it later transpired, should have been The Ethiopian is Converted on the Road to Gaza.


Chief Buthelezi presents Azaria Mbatha's The Ethiopian is converted on the Road to Gaza to Ethiopia Emperor Haile Selassie in 1968

Appropriately this print, correctly titled, was presented by Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi to Haile Selassie, then Emperor of Ethiopia, when he visited him in 1968.

Mbatha received an award to study in Stockholm, and on completing the course in 1967 he returned to Rorke's Drift. There he taught silk screen printing until 1970, when he went back to Sweden with his wife Muriel and two children. After completing the Swedish equivalent of matric he went on to study fine art, and then social science, at the University of Lund. He has lived in Sweden since.

Through the 1970s the Art Centre continued to sell early linocut prints that Mbatha had left in South Africa, as well as linocut and silkscreen prints he sent from Sweden. But it was not until November 1980 that an exhibition of his latest work was arranged.


The ladder by Azaria Mbatha in 1968

Andrew Verster, in a review in the Daily News, expressed e opinion that after being introduced to new techniques and influences in his early years in Sweden, Mbatha had 'lost his way', and that little he did in those initial years had the authority of his younger work. However, he said of his later work on exhibit:

"...now that he has his fine arts degree behind him and has had time to reassess his direction, it is significant that he has returned to his roots and is working with the same vigour and conviction as before...

"There are 14 prints in the new portfolio whose basic message is one of loneliness and despair. Although clearly a personal statement of inner turmoil, it has deeper implications and reads on a metaphorical level as a cry of the oppressed everywhere for attention and recognition."

The 1980 exhibition marked the middle period in Mbatha's artistic exile. In 1983 the African Art Centre, which had in 1965 filed away 50 of Azaria's early linocuts, considered that they should be better pre served. Having photographed and documented them, the linocuts were offered for sale on behalf of the artist.

Public and university galleries were given preference in acquiring them. Records show that the University of the Witwatersrand Gallery bought 12, the Natal Provincial Administration Museum Services section eight, the Michaelis Art School six, the Killie Campbell Museum six, the Durban Art Gallery two and the Johannesburg Art Gallery two.

Contact with Mbatha lessened during the 1980s. He was working at a hospital in Lund and presumably was not able to devote himself entirely to art. However, we were delighted when he agreed to the Art Centre holding a comprehensive exhibition in May I 989.


The Dance by Azaria Mbatha

He sent out from Sweden 15 silkscreen prints (undated) and 18 linocuts dated 1980 to 1984, interspersed with a few of his 1960s prints. The linocut prints showed, I think, some of the anxieties and sadness of an artist in exile, as some of the titles indicated: Discipline, Going Away, Ideologies, Tower of Babel and The Return.

When he elected to send out the exhibition, he said he would like part of the proceeds to go towards establishing an art education fund. It was at this point that the Azaria Mbatha Scholarship Fund was founded. A preview of the exhibition was used as a fund raising event and benefited the Scholarship Fund by R2 500.

So great was the interest in buying work on the exhibition that a queuing system had to be arranged. All but two were sold at the preview opening.


The Return by Azaria Mbatha


The Mask by Azaria Mbatha

Professor Alan Crump, head of the Wits Fine Arts Department and a great admirer of Mbatha, said while opening the exhibition that his work was of an excellent standard and would always strongly identify with South Africa:

"I regard him as one of the finest linoprint makers of our country. It's a tragedy Azaria Mbatha is a self exile. We hope that one day he will be able to re-discover his country...It's significant that Mbatha chose the African Art Centre to hold his exhibition. It once again shows the confidence that the African Art Centre, under Jo Thorpe's guidance, has inspired."

The many letters from Mbatha, particularly in the 1960s, show the strong links that were established with the African Art Centre. It was a great privilege to have been associated with him. The early link continued through the years, culminating in July 1992 with his memorable Home Coming exhibition, held at the African Art Centre to celebrate his visit to South Africa after 28 years of self exile.

Mbatha attended the opening and old friends, early admirers and buyers of his work, together with former Rorke's Drift students and young artists, gave him a warm welcome. He reciprocated with obvious joy at being home at last. He opened the exhibition with a short but inspiring talk - and a demonstration with a koki-pen on how he sets about creating a work of art.

So great was the interest in buying work on the exhibition that a queuing system had to be arranged. All but two were sold at the preview opening. Professor Alan Crump, head of the Wits Fine Arts Department and a great admirer of Mbatha, said while opening the exhibition that his work was of an excellent standard and would always strongly identify with South Africa:

"I regard him as one of the finest linoprint makers of our country. It's a tragedy Azaria Mbatha is a self exile. We hope that one day he will be able to re-discover his country...It's significant that Mbatha chose the African Art Centre to hold his exhibition. It once again shows the confidence that the African Art Centre, under Jo Thorpe's guidance, has inspired."


Building a Cross by Azaria Mbatha 1983

The many letters from Mbatha, particularly in the 1960s, show the strong links that were established with the African Art Centre. It was a great privilege to have been associated with him. The early link continued through the years, culminating in July 1992 with his memorable Home Coming exhibition, held at the African Art Centre to celebrate his visit to South Africa after 28 years of self exile.

Mbatha attended the opening and old friends, early admirers and buyers of his work, together with former Rorke's Drift students and young artists, gave him a warm welcome. He reciprocated with obvious joy at being home at last. He opened the exhibition with a short but inspiring talk - and a demonstration with a koki-pen on how he sets about creating a work of art.

During his month long stay he rediscovered his roots and spent most of his time with his mother and family at Ceza. His mother died shortly after his visit.

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