Ubizo lokuthuthukisa ezobuciko ezindaweni zako bantu
ININGI lamaciko kuleli lihlale likhala ngento eyodwa: ukungaxhaswa ngokwanele kwemisebenzi yawo. Omunye wala maciko okhala esifanayo, nguThamsanqa Rutherford Jali, odume ngelikaThami, nongomunye wamaciko ahlonishwayo ngemisebenzi yawo yezandla.
Leli ciko selihambe izindawo eziningi likhangisa ngomsebenzi walo kanti futhi libuye lifundise kulabo abaseza ngemuva. Le nsizwa yazalelwa kwelinye lamalokishini amadala eThekwini, i-Lamontville, okwathi isineminyaka eyisithupha nje kuphela abazali base befudukela eClermont. Ike yahlala eMpangeni, eMkhumbane, eLondon, e-India, eGauteng naseMpumalanga. Uke walunguza naseNyuvesi yaseZululand (oNgoye) enza izifundo zomthetho, wasebenza njengomabhalane oLundi. Kepha udosi lokudweba yilo olwayinqobayo.
Ekutholeni isiqinisekiso sokuthi nakanjani le nsizwa, ehlala kwelinye lamalokishi adumile nanomlando kuleli i-Clermont, ivumile ukuthi sibonane, kanti umbuzo ebengizibuza wona ngothi kambe yini ongayibuza le nsizwa kwazise okuningi sekubhaliwe ngayo? Kepha kuthe uma sekufike isikhathi, emuva nje kokubuka imisebenzi enhlobonhlobo leli ciko eliyenzile, imibuzo yazifikela.
Okokuqala okuqaphelekayo ngoJali wukuthi akaziboni ehlukile kunabanye abantu nokuyinto evame ukudunga imiqondo yamaciko amaningi. Lokhu uqale ukuqaphele ngendawo asebenzela kuyo. Esikhathini lapho amaciko amaningi efuna ukuyosebenza ezakhiweni zikanokusho emadolobheni, uJali uqome ukuzosebenza nomphakathi wangakubo.
Indawo yakhe yokusebenzela (studio) yisitende nje sakubo esidala asiguqule ngendlela enobuhlakani ukuze sivumelane nomsebenzi wakhe.
“Yebo kukhona uhulumeni akwenzela amanye amaciko, okuyinto enhle, kepha iqiniso lithi iningi lamaciko alihlomuli ngalokho. Kulo mkhakha wethu wobuciko bokudweba, ukubumba nokuqopha kunzima kakhulu. Uke umenywe kuthiwa woza uzokhangisa emicimbini emikhulu, kuthi loyo okumemayo angakuxhasi nangemali yokuthwala umsebenzi wakho. Kuthi uma sekuphele umcimbi zonke izikhulu sezihambile kube nguwe osala wedwa edolobheni nalo okumemile engasazibambi izingcingo zakho,” kusho uJali.
Lobu ngobunye bobunzima lo mdwebi athi butholwa ngamaciko kuleli. Kepha konke lokho akumthenanga amandla njengoba ekholwa wukuthi ubizo lwakhe lusekuthuthukiseni ezobucko ezindaweni zakobantu.
UJali uveze ukuthi usebe nesikhathi eside kule ndima nathe yize iguquka kepha izinkinga zibukeka zisefana. Uthe amaciko amaningi asenezinkinga zendawo yokusebenzela kanye nokusekelwa ngisho emindeni yawo.
Wenze isibonelo sengane enekhono lomsebenzi wezandla njengokudweba nathe iningi lithola izinkinga zokuthi amanye amalungu omndeni kawazeseki ngoba asuke engaboni ukuthi ukudweba kungaba ngumsebenzi ohloniphekile nongaletha inzuzo.
“Ngiyazi kulukhuni kangakanani kule ndima, mina nje ngaqala kungekho umuntu engangibukela kuye ngoba ukudweba lokhu kwakungathathwa njengento etheni, kwakubatshazwa nje ukuthi uyakwazi ukudweba noma udweba kahle kube sekuphelile njalo.”
Ebuzwa ngokuthi kungani eqoma ukusebenzela elokishini uphawule wathi: “Sikhulu isidingo sokuthi kube khona ukuthuthukiswa kwamaciko nokuwagqugquzela ukuthi asebenzele lapho ehlala ngakhona.
Lokhu, ngaphandle nje kokuthi konga imali, kuzokwenza le ndima yezobuciko yamukeleke njengento eyejwayelekile ezindaweni zakobantu kungabi yinto yasemadolobheni nasezakhiweni ezithile kuphela.”
Kule ndawo uJali asebenzela kuyo eku-10th Avenue e-Clermont baningi asebethwase khona, okubalwa amaciko asevele akule ndima namalungu nje omphakathi. Kule ndawo amaciko ayakwazi ukufika agobe amadlangala ngenhloso yokuzofunda noma ukuzothuthukisa ulwazi analo.
UJali uyaziqhenya ngendawo asebenzela kuyo nathe isike yaba nombukiso futhi anesifiso sokuthi uphinde ube khona nakwamanye amalokishi
“Lapha ngisebenzela khona ngifisa kube yikhaya likanoma ngubani ofisa ukwazi kabanzi ngobuciko bokudweba,” usho kanje.
Ubeziqhenya ngesikhathi ekhuluma ngeminye yemisebenzi yakhe efana ne-Festival of African Art eyabanjelwa oNgoye (1980-1981) kanye ne-Art Communication, Indingilizi Gallery eyenzeka eSwazini (1983) kanye naloyo owenzeka e-India ngo-1997.
Esinye sezithombe asitshengise sona yilapho efundisa khona abantu bendawo ukwenza imisebenzi eyahlukahlukene yokudweba ehlanganisa nendwangu nokunye nathe lokhu kumenza aziqhenye ngoba kuwubufakazi bokuthi lokhu akwenzayo kokugxila ezindaweni zabantu kungenzeka ngoba bakhona abantu bomphakathi abafunda lukhulu.
IZINDAWO ASEKHANGISE KUZO EHAMBISANA NABANYE
- 1980 ‘Festival of African Art’ University of Zululand
- 1981 ‘Festival of African Art’ University of Zululand
- 1982 ‘Festival of African Art’ University of Zululand
- 1983 ‘Art Communication’ Indingilizi Gallery, Mbabane, Swaziland
- 1984 ‘Art Communication’ Executive Hotel, Umlazi
- 1988 ‘Friends of Freedom’ (with Fikile Magadlela) Fuba Gallery, Johannesburg
- 1989 ‘Objects of Utility’ (with Samson Mudzunga) Fuba Gallery, Johannesburg
- 1989 ‘Five Friends’ (Paul Sibisi, Mpolokeng Ramphomane, Sifiso kaMkame, Gordon Gabashane and Thami Jali) NSA Gallery, Durban
- 1990 ‘Art from South African Townships’ ICA, London (Institute for Contemporary Arts)
- 1990 ‘Vulamehlo -Open Eye’ Durban Art Gallery
- 1991 Thupelo Workshop Exhibition, Fuba Gallery, Johannesburg
- 1992 Thupelo Workshop Exhibition, Fuba Gallery, Johannesburg
- 1993 Art/OMI, International Artists Workshop, New York, USA
- 1994 Grahamstown Arts Festival Train exhibition
- 1994 National Arts Trust Exhibition, BAT Centre, Durban
- 1995 ‘38 Essex Road’ NSA Gallery, Durban
- 1995 Africus Johannesburg Biennale ‘95, Johannesburg
- 1997 New Dehli Triennale, Lalit Kala Akademi, India
- 2004 InniBos Kunstefees, Nelspruit
- 2009 ‘A Known Heritage’ Kizo Art Gallery, Gateway, Durban
- 2010 ‘Amandla’ Durban Art Gallery
- 2011 ‘Amandla’ Menzi Mchunu & Democratic Gallery, BAT Centre, Durban
- 2011 Three Parts More Harmony’ Durban Art Gallery
IZINDAWO AKHANGISE KUZO EYEDWA
- 1998 ‘Ungqofo Ulalele’ Menzi Mchunu Gallery, BAT Centre, Durban
- 2007 Transformation’ Menzi Mchunu Gallery, BAT Centre, Durban
IZINDAWO AHLONISHWA KUZO
- Artists for Human Rights Trust
- Caversham Press
- Campbell Collections, University of KwaZulu-Natal
- Durban Art Gallery
- Phansi Museum
- Tatham Art Gallery
- The Constitutional Court, Johannesburg
- South African National Gallery, Cape Town
- University of Zululand