Gugulethu-born artist Sandile Ashar Mhlongo’s evocative acrylic paintings shine the spotlight on Cape Town’s contrasts.
Lights in Darkness, Darkness in Light is exhibited by House Union Block (HUB) at the Cape Heritage Hotel’s Sisonke Gallery until October 27.
The exhibition statement reads: “From darkness comes light. Day in the night, bring forth light from the darkness. The magic of street lights gives the illusion of day even in the dark of the night. People work, play and thrive in the night as though it were day. Life goes on in the "break" of darkness. There's good and bad in the dark, choose light. Shine, shine your light in the dark and you will find all you are looking for. Choose light even in the dark.”
A second-generation artist born in Gugulethu and living in Mitchells Plain’s Lost City, Mhlongo’s art career began during his high school years in the late 1980s.
Learning from his father – an artist working as a bricklayer – he is passionate about making his family’s lived experiences visible through his work. His visually striking depictions of everyday life have a strong sense of place infused with a touch of surreality.
Painting visual metaphors, Mhlongo’s latest collection embodies the principle of choosing to look at light, even in times of darkness.
His work is personal and political, steeped in first-person experiences and informed by observations of the country’s changing landscape and the people who inhabit it. The exhibition at Sisonke is a close look at the interplay of hope and despair that characterises a Capetonian’s perspective of life in South Africa.
“There's good and bad in the dark. Choose light. Shine, shine your light in the dark and you will find all you are looking for,” said Mhlongo.
The exhibition opened on September 5 until October 27. For more information visit: https://houseunionblock.co.za/
Cape Times