Street vendor on your wall?
GODFREY MOJADIBODU’S new exhibit runs from the 19 August 2005 to the 2 September 2005. If you love the city and are after authentic city street scenes and skylines, get your hands on one of his paintings. He is fascinated with the ‘staying-power’ and optimism of street vendors who patiently sell their loose cigarettes and phone-calls trying to make ends meet…
‘The internatio…
nal renowned painter Godfrey Mojadibodu will be hosting a solo exhibition at the Gerard Sekoto Gallery at Alliance Franýaise.
Majadibodu, a “FUBA” (Federated Union of Black Arts) graduate ’87, has taken part in numerous international and local exhibitions. His work is also featured in numerous private and corporate collections.
The most recent international exhibition has been in the Afro Vibe Festival, Holland.
The paintings in this exhibition are a departure from his rural African Themes with a focus on Johannesburg’s “street life”.
He says of his paintings:
“I am motivated by “people” and their ability to survive in very trying times”. A person’s ability to sit for 12 hours a day selling “Stok-sweets” – That is a mental and physical challenge”. The challenge is to capture this sense of ” time and patience that people have in big cities. My paintings are people by sweets-sellers, shoppers, unemployed young people, peanuts sellers, children and other street-market characters. This is about “people trying to found something to eat”, the hardships and the daily critical.
The additional theme of “Modernism vs. Traditional life” also appears in this exhibition – With two large painting exploring the controversy around “Circumcision Schools.
In these paintings Godfrey poses creative questions rather than catering to the sensationalism of this debate.’
GODFREY MOJADIBODU
Alliance Francais
Address: 17 Lower Park Drive, cnr Kerry Road, Parkview
19 August 2005 – 2 September 2005
