BLESSING NGOBENI
BLESSING NGOBENI, Beautiful Shades of Corrupt States (triptych)
Mixed media on canvas, 191 x 336 cm
‘Borrowing from the language of Surrealism, the anarchy of Dada and the figurative violence of Neo-Expressionism, particularly the work of American artist, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Ngobeni’s paintings are characterized by obsessive mark making and littered with overt political references.’*
Blessing Ngobeni’s large canvases incorporate a range of cuttings, discarded materials and found objects. These unassuming materials are layered to create textured and powerful works which often reference artists who have influenced Ngobeni, both conceptually and aesthetically.
Having used his art to fearlessly critique the structures of power, overtly addressing the corruption, hypocrisy and greed of the contemporary ruling elite, this new triptych strikes a more jubilant note, the figures process exuberantly across the canvas, their dancing skirts in luminous shades of pink, red, blue and yellow.
* Vitamin P3 New Perspectives in Painting, Phaidon, 2016
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Artist Portrait: Courtesy of Standard Bank
Specialists in contemporary art from South Africa. Established in 1913. South African artists are part of the global conversation. We seek to make their voices heard.