Sydney alex Kumalo (also documented as Khumalo) was born on 13 April 1935 in Johannesburg. He attended Madibane High School in Diepkloof, Soweto where he attained a Junior Certificate. He began studying at Polly Street Art Centre in 1952 and worked there under Cecil Skotnes until 1957 and under Edoardo Villa in 1958 and 1959. He was appointed assistant to Cecil Skotnes at Polly Street Art Centre in 1958 and art instructor in I960. He moved with the Art Centre from Polly Street to Jubilee Social Centre in I960 and taught until 1964. He then worked as a full-time artist, receiving guidance from Edoardo Villa. In 1967 Kumalo visited the USA and Europe as a guest of USSALEP. He visited West Germany in 1979 and the USA in 1985.

Exhibitions:

1958: Lidchi Art Gallery Johannesburg (group).

1959: Queens Art Gallery, Johannesburg (group).

I960: Lawrence Adier Galleries, Johannesburg (Artists of Fame and Promise).

1962: Egon Guenther Gallery Johannesburg (solo). 1963: DAM (Art SA Today).

1963-4: Rome, Venice, Florence and Milan, Italy (Amadlozi Group).

1964: Rembrandt Art Centre, Johannesburg; SANG (SA Art Today).

1965: Grosvenor Gallery, London, UK (Fifty Years of Sculptur-group).

1966: Egon Guenther Gallery Johannesburg (solo). Venice, Italy (Biennale). Pretoria (Republic Festival Exhibition). Grosvenor Gallery, London, UK (two-person exhibition with Cecil Skotnes; group).

1967: Egon Guenther Gallery, Johannesburg (solo). Grosvenor Gallery, New York, USA (group). Johannesburg (Transvaal Academy). Sao Paulo, Brazil (Biennale). DAM (Art SA Today).

1969: Camden Arts Centre, London, UK (Contemporary African Art).

1970: Goodman Gallery (The 51 Club Winter Art Exhibition).

1971: Holland, Belgium, West Germany (SA Graphic An). Cape Town (Republic Festival Exhibition). Lidchi Art Gallery, Johannesburg (three-person exhibition with Louis Maqhubela and Geoffrey Armstrong). JAG (Johannesburg Artists — Diamond Jubilee of the JAG).

1972: Goodman Gallery (SA Graphics 1972). Gallery 101 (group).

1973: Goodman Gallery, Triad Gallery, Johannesburg (group). Gallery International, Cape Town (sculpture — group). 1974: National Art Gallery, Athens, Greece (Contemporary SA Art). Goodman Gallery (Festival of SA Graphics and Multiples 1974).

1975: Royal Museum for Central Africa in Tervuren, Belgium (Zulu Art). Gallery 21, London, UK (African Art from SA). Goodman Gallery (SA Sculpture by Leading Artists; solo). Goodman-Wolman Gallery, Cape Town (Transvaal Painting and Sculpture).

1976: Canberra, Australia (SAArt — Canberra Week). SAAA, Pretoria (solo). Gallery International, Cape Town (group).

1977: Goodman Gallery (solo).

1978: Sharp Festival, Grahamstown (Festival Art Exhibition).

1979-80: SAAA, Johannesburg (Renaissance II '79).

1979: Bonn and West Germany-tour (Art from SA/Art from Soweto). Goodman Gallery (solo).

1981: Durban (Republic Festival Exhibition). Jabulani Standard Bank, Soweto (Black Art Today). SA Institute of Race Relations.

1982: Goodman Gallery (solo). National Museum and Art Gallery, Gaborone, Botswana (Art Toward Social Development An Exhibition of SA Art).

1983: Gallery 21 (The Nude in 21). Milner Park, Johannesburg (SA Contemporary Art). Mphatlalatsane Community Hall, Sebokeng (group).

1984: Dennis Hotz Gallery, Sandton (Private Art for Public Viewing An exhibition for Johannesburg Child Welfare).

1985: Africana Museum in Progress, Johannesburg (Tributaries). New York, USA (Amadlozi exhibition with Cecil Skotnes, Ezrom Legae and Edoardo Villa). FUBA (A Selection of Works by Distinguished Black Artists). Goodman Gallery (four-person exhibition with Ezrom Legae, Cecil Skotnes and Edoardo Villa).

1986: Gallery 21 (Contemporary African Art Selected works from the Pelmama Permanent Art Collection). Amadlozi Art Centre, Gold Reef City, Johannesburg (group). 1986-7: JAG (Johannesburg Art and Artists: Selections from a Century).

1987: Goodman Gallery (solo). PAM (Reach Out'87).

1988: JAG (Vita Art Now)

Awards

I960: Artists of Fame and Promise (award).

1963: Art SA Today (Philip Frame Award).

1967: Transvaal Academy (bronze medal and a travel bursary to the USA).

1981: SA Institute of Race Relations Exhibition (first prize).

Commissions

1958: Stations of the Cross, Kroonstad Catholic Church, Orange Free State.

c.1959: Stations of the Cross, Orlando. I960: State Pavilion in Milner Park Johannesburg.

c.1963: Hotel in Kitwe, Zambia.

c.1980: The Blessing, Cape Town Civic Centre.

1986: Premier Group Holdings, Johannesburg.

1987: Napac Playhouse, Durban.

Collections

DAM; JAG; PAM; Rembrandt van Rijn Art Foundation, Stellenbosch; Sandton Town Council; SANG; Sanlam; UFH; UNISA; WITS.

References

• Sack, S. (1988). The Neglected Tradition, Johannesburg: Johannesburg Art Gallery.
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