Congo Square 2004

2004
by Zwelethu Mthethwa

In celebration of the 10th anniversary of South African democracy, the Jazz Fest showcased that country's culture at the 2004 Festival. Of the 100 South African artists who came, one, Zwelethu Mthethwa, had already leapt borders to capture the attention of art collectors world-wide. In gorgeous pastel colors, he depicts the art of everyday life as lived by his fellow South Africans. For Congo Square he presents an unselfconscious study of a bluesman (literally) playing a tune at a counter. By adding the faded lettering of a vintage sign announcing Congo Square at the Jazz Fest, the South African bluesman is instantly transported a world away to New Orleans. Zwelethu Mthethwa proves that the world is one in this richly realized limited-edition silk-screen print. The creator of "One World Blues: A Tribute to South African Democracy" was born in 1960 in Durban, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa. In 1989 he first came to the United States on a Fulbright Scholarship to earn a Master of Fine Arts in Imaging Art from the Rochester Institute of Technology. His work includes photography as well as pastel paintings. One-man shows of his works have been mounted in Los Angeles, Rome, Johannesburg, Madrid, Hamburg, Chicago, New York, Paris, and Basel Switzerland, among others.

Editions:

Poster originally sold for $59 (Unsigned), $249 (Signed)

Poster and specifications may vary slightly.
Image © 2004 art4now, Inc. / Text © 2004-2005 ProCreations Publishing Company