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Gallery
Sketchbooktrails is the art initiative of the young, female artist Taf [Tafadzwa Mukwashi]. All paintings under the gallery tab of the Sketchbooktrails website have been done by Taf since her painting career began in 2001.
The grisaille paintings are one of the artist Taf’s (Tafadzwa Mukwashi) current explorations, as well as the visual experiences along roads in Southern Africa and the human form. To view art works, for available paintings click here and past paintings click here. For all enquiries and pricing please click here.
Begun in April 2010, Facing a Century is a collection of 100 portraits by Taf of real people. Facing a Century has kicked off with portraits of Goldfish!, Seth Rotherham, Ard Matthews of Just Jinjer, Springbok Legend, Bob Skinstad, current Springbok Captain, John Smit, the Soprano, Pretty Yende and now Gareth Cliff! We need YOUR face too to complete this century...more
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Gareth Cliff
Artist: Taf [Tafadzwa Mukwashi]
Triptych, oil on canvas
406mm x 508mm, 254mm x 508mm, 406mm x 508mm
Gareth Cliff is the man in the 7th portrait of Facing a Century. This triptych by the artist, Taf [Tafadzwa Mukwashi] is true Pop Art in style - a textured, impasto oil painting executed in lamp black and white over three individual box canvasses.
Gareth Cliff is a 5fm DJ, Idols Judge, the host of "The Gareth Cliff Show" and the director and partner of One on One Productions. Gareth is undoubtedly one of the most popular people in South Africa today, although he firmly maintains that the only 'real celebrities' are Mandela and Tutu. The choice of Pop Art in its purity for Gareth was an obvious one in the end.
Whether you agree or disagree with the opinions of the critical thinker that is Gareth Cliff, the fact remains, the debate and independent thought he encourages, and his ability to stir up Vox Populi is necessary at this crucial time in South Africa's history. The mirror images of Gareth Cliff in his portrait are representative of the outspoken, independent and reflective thinker that he is.
Gareth Cliff's 'Dear Government Letter' got a reaction from the Presidency, Mail & Guardian's Khaya Dlanga, Ben Trovato and Carlos Amato from Times Live, and so many more. Gareth, the tall, blue-eyed African from Pretoria, has demonstrated that it is possible for individuals to make their voices heard, to demand for better leadership from the Governments they elect, but at the same time to realize that the building of a nation to greater heights is up to the nation itself.
"No single person should matter more than the next. Next time you're about to start bitching about government (or Idols), ask yourself if you did something valuable for the country today. Not something for yourself, for the country. If you did something, you can complain all you like. If you didn't, get off your butt and go and do something. Positive people in Africa are lining themselves up to take advantage of one of the last unsaturated global markets, rich in material resources and potential. If you're not interested in your country, why should your country be interested in you?" - Gareth Cliff
In appreciation of all the moments (the entertaining ones, the controversial ones...) that Gareth gives the country that he clearly loves, it is a great pleasure to give him this moment in Facing a Century.
[Many thanks to Rina Broomberg.]
www.garethcliff.com
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Goldfish - David Poole & Dominic Peters
Artist: Taf [Tafadzwa Mukwashi]
Oil on canvas
762mm x 1016mm
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The first portrait in Facing a Century is of Dominic Peters and David Poole of Goldfish - two boys from Cape Town whose 'genre-defying mix of jazzy house beats and searing live performances has seen them launch head first into the worldwide Dance Music consciousness'. This impasto, oil on canvas, dichromatic painting (in the distinctive Goldfish electric orange and burnt umber) of the music duo is pop art in theme. It was completed over twenty hours by the artist, Taf (Tafadzwa Mukwashi) whilst she listened to Goldfish's albums - 'Perceptions of Pacha' and 'Caught in the Loop'.
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John Smit, Springbok Captain
Artist: Taf [Tafadzwa Mukwashi]
Oil on canvas
610mm x 915mm
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"I love rugby, I love this country and I love giving people hope. I have lived, and am still living, in a historic time for South Africa and have grown with the country from the birth of democracy in 1994, when I was just 16." - John Smit, Springbok Rugby Captain.
The 5th painting of Facing a Century by the artist Taf [Tafadzwa Mukwashi] is of John Smit, the 50th and current captain of the South African national rugby union team, the Springboks.
The moment was on 21 August 2010, at John Smit's 100th test match for South Africa in Soweto. Despite the cameras, a stadium, a nation, and the world watching, there passed this personal moment between John and his two miracles, Emma-Joan and Tyron, from his soulmate and wife, Roxy.
This simple moment of paternal love in this Bok Great's life was captured in a classic grisaille, oil on canvas painting in a paynes grey monochrome. A 'cartooned' theme was adopted for the benefit of the aforementioned miracles.
John Smit is also a passionate supporter of the Bobby Bear Foundation and Operation Bobbi Bear. Operation Bobbi Bear is a non-profit organization based in Amanzimtoti, in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. They rescue and uphold the rights of sexually abused children and ensure that secondary abuse does not occur. For more information on how to do that one small act that could help rescue one of Operation Bobbi Bear's miracles, please go to www.bobbibear.org.za
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Have Hope Makwerekwere
Artist: Taf [Tafadzwa Mukwashi]
Oil on canvas
1012mm x 1265mm
Cries for Ubuntu lost amongst the insanity of xenophobia, the toiling ‘Makwerekwere’ is captured on canvas heading out on a new trail.
This large, heavily textured, impasto oil on canvas painting by the artist, Taf [Tafadzwa Mukwashi], was completed on 30 December 2010 - a time when the special dispensation to Zimbabweans living illegally in SA has been discontinued, and hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans, many of whom are failed asylum seekers, have just 24hours left before they face deportation.
"Each time the subject of racism is mentioned in South Africa, it is discussed in relation to black citizens of South Africa. This makes sense because the ordinary people of South Africa directly bore the brunt of racism from the policies of separate development that apartheid espoused. However, in the studies of racism in South Africa what is often given lip service and sometimes completely left out is the racism that the black foreigners from African countries who migrated and continue to move into South Africa experienced and continue to experience... Most of the black foreigners, pejoratively described as "Makwerekwere" have made South Africa their home and yet they continue to experience racism...
The most visible expression of racism that manifested itself as
xenophobia happened in 2008 between April, and May. It is estimated that some 65 black foreigners
lost their lives." - Abebe Zegeye, Thinking of "Makwerekwere": Racism in South Africa
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Global Dialogue on Art
CALLING ALL ARTISTS AND WRITERS!
You can become a featured artist or writer on the Global Dialogue on Art on Sketchbooktrails...more
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Vote for artists/ writers on the Global Dialogue on Art that you like. Join the Sketchbooktrails page on facebook and vote by clicking 'like'. You can vote for as many artists/ writers as you choose. The most popular featured artist/writer in 2010/2011 and one lucky voter will each be awarded with a book on art.
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Feature: Beezy Bailey, Artist & Social Commentator
Dancing Jesus
Artist: Beezy Bailey
15cm high Dancing Jesus [Hava Nagila] cast in pure 18ct gold . ed. 12.
Biography
"I feel somewhat like a conduit... people ask where I get my inspiration, and I say, from above. I don't really feel personally responsible for the work I produce - it is rather something that flows through me. I am something of a walking paintbrush. I believe in all forms of creativity and indulge in painting, drawing, sculpture, performance and video as a means of my expression. I live for beauty." - Beezy Bailey
Beezy Bailey (William James Sebastian Bailey) was born in 1962 in Johannesburg, South Africa. He received a fine art degree from Byam Shaw School of Art in London in 1986. Beezy's work is represented in several art collections, including the South African National Gallery, SASOL, Durban Art Gallery, BIDVEST, ABSA, Investec, BZW Bank London, Standard Bank Collection, David Bowie Art Collection, the Getty Family Collection, the Oppenheimer Art Collection and numerous private collections around the world. more
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