Impilo yeciko uFeni iyayaluza esaba mathambo
UDABA oluphume emaphephandabeni angempelasonto oluthinta ukukhwatshaniswa kwemisebenzi yeciko lokudweba nokuqopha uDumile Feni lukhomba ukuyaluza kwempilo yalo yize elaba mathambomhlophe. UFeni wadlula emhlabeni esekudingisweni ngowe-1991 engasenalutho yize imisebenzi yakhe iminingi futhi isiyakhele ababesondelene naye izigidi zemali.
Kunombango osuze waya enkantolo indodakazi yakhe uMirriam Diale ophila kanzima nendodakazi yakhe uSafeiya Morris eYeoville ekhala khona ngomnikazi weMomo Gallery uMonna Mokoena amsola ngokuzenzela inzuzo ngemisebenzi kayise kodwa engakudluliseli okuyimali akutholayo emndenini. Ngaphezulu kwalokhu imisebenzi yakhe isabalele nomhlaba wonke kuzuza abangane nabangahlangene nayo kodwa abomndeni abasele badla imbuya ngothi.
Umphathi weMomo Gallery, uMonna Mokoena uyaziphika izinsolo ezibhekiswe kuye. Ubalula ukuthi ubesekela uDiale ngezimali yize imisebenzi kayise yobuciko ingakadayiswa. Nokho uDiale umile kwelokuthi uMokoena akathembekanga kwababevumelene ngakho. Okuyisicelo sikaDiale wukuthi ngaphezu kwencazelo emayelana nezimali ezitholakale ngomsebenzi kaFeni wobuciko usecela ukuthi uMokoena abuyise imisebenzi esasilele ngakuye. IMomo Gallery okuyiyona ekhangisa ngemisebenzi kaFeni inikezwe izinsuku ezili-15 ukuthi iziphendulele kulezi zinsolo. Lo msindo wenze ukuthi abantu bazibuze ukuthi konje kwakungubani yena uDumile Feni?
UZwelidumile Geelboy Mgxaji ‘Mlaba’ Feni wazalelwa eWestern Cape endaweni yaseWorcester ngowe-1942. Unina washeshe wadlula emhlabeni wakhulela phansi kukayise nezihlobo ngaphambi kokufudukela eGoli lapho asebenza khona njengomqophi osafufusa. Kamuva waduma njengeciko elidweba ngepensela neliqopha izithombe zobumba nezethusi.
Uhlonishwa namaciko ahamba phambili oHlanga kuleli ayesebenza phakathi konyaka we-1960 kuya kowe-1990. Imisebenzi yakhe ngokuhamba kweminyaka iya ngokwenyuka ngokwenani kanti ubalwa namaciko afana noGerald Sekoto, u-Ernest Mancoba, uGeorge Pemba noLucky Mbatha. Lawa maciko azakhele igama emhlabeni wonke jikelele.
Kwabangenalwazi ngemisebenzi kaFeni bangayobuka isithombe esikhulukazi asiqophayo wasinika igama elithi, ‘History’ esikhangiswe ekungeneni eNkantolo yoMthethosisekelo, eCapitol Hill, eGoli. Siyisithombe esikhuluma ngokugqilazwa kwaboHlanga nokungashaywa mkhuba kwabo ngesikhathi sobandlululo kuleli.
Ngokusho kwendodakazi yakhe uDiale, uyise kwadingeka ngowe-1968 aphume ngesamagundane kuleli efunwa uthuli ngamaphoyisa obandlululo.
Impilo yakhe yaqala lapho ukuyaluza. Wazithola eseLondon, eNew York, naseLos Angeles okungamadolobha amakhulu emhlabeni kodwa equba phansi kwamabhuloho nasezindaweni ezimnyama. Wayehamba ekhosela kubangani kodwa uma ethola ithuba asebenze mawala. Ukuyaluza kwempilo yakhe osekumlandela nasemafeni akhe kwaba nomphumela wokunganakekeleki kwemisebenzi yakhe eyagcina ihlezi kubangane nasezindaweni zemibukiso.
Emisebenzini yakhe edumile waqopha ibunjwamuntu lowayenguMengameli kaKhongolose iNkosi u-Albert Luthuli. Imisebenzi yakhe ikhangiswe kumagallery adumile emhlabeni. Kubantu abahlonipha imisebenzi kaFeni kubalwa uMehluleli osewathatha umhlalaphansi u-Albie Sachs. Imisebenzi kaFeni yayiveza kakhulu uthando olujulile ayenalo lomculo ijazz.
UFeni wadlula emhlabeni ngonyaka we-1991 eNew York e- United States of America (USA) wangcwatshwa ngosiko lwenkolo yobuSulumane emathuneni aseLenasia eGoli.
Kukhonya omama eThe Playhouse enyangeni uNcwaba.
