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DUT Art Graduate Immortalises Late Leader Anton Lembede

DUT Art Graduate Immortalises Late Leader Anton Lembede

Earlier this year, Urban Lime– an innovative commercial property regeneration company that transforms and regenerates urban landscapes that have fallen out of fashion into vibrant communities for people, business and enterprise to thrive- commissioned Sakhile Mhlongo, a DUT Fine Art graduate to create a 600sqm portrait of the late Anton Lembede.

Lembede’s portrait, who was the first ANC Youth League President, scholar, philosopher and lawyer, was installed on the corner of Anton Lembede (former Smith) Street and 6 Durban Club Place, a building of great importance to the Durban law and judicial system as the development houses the majority of legal practices in the City.

Lembede passed away at the age of 33 while studying towards a doctorate in Law. In his portrait, as drawn by Mhlongo, he is dressed in a charcoal suit and is carrying a briefcase while walking towards the courthouse.

Urban Lime approached Mhlongo after seeing his work in various art galleries and museums, some of which include portraits of prominent figures in the City of Durban including that of Moses Mabhida, a cadre of the South African liberation movement who rose through the ranks to become a giant of the struggle.

Mhlongo has also won fifth place at the Sanlam portrait awards in 2016. He has also worked on street art, murals and portraits all over Durban with well-known artists such as Mookie Lion and Sphephelo Mnguni, who are also DUT Fine Art graduates; Dane Stops, DUT Graphic Design Lecturer and artists, as well as Faith 47 who is renowned for her graffiti art.

Mhlongo says he draws inspiration from his surroundings, experiences as well as his upbringing. “My paintings focus mainly on the stereotypical views of African males and females within my culture where man are seen as gangsters and women as submissive. But at the same time, I’m really questioning the way Africans are viewed through my art”, said Mhlongo.

Mhlongo’s love for art began in primary school. While he did not take his talent seriously at the time, his science teacher used to ask him to draw illustrations, diagrams and sketches on the chalkboard to help students visualise what was being taught in class. Mhlongo then started going to shopping malls and other places laden with foot traffic in order to make and save money to study Fine Art at DUT.

Currently, Mhlongo is preparing for his solo show which will take place in June at a museum in Cape Town. He is also part of the Artists in Residence Programme which is commissioned by the eThekwini Municipality.

“I do art because I wants to express what is inside me for the rest of the world to see. God is the artist. I’m only his paintbrush and He uses me to show people what he wants them to see through art”, he said.

–          Sthabile Gwala

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Pictured: The 600sqm portrait of the late Anton Lembede on the corner of Anton Lembede (former Smith) Street and 6 Durban Club Place. Also pictured is Sakhile Mhlongo, the artist behind the late late Anton Lembede’s portrait. 

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