Muzuzile Mduduzi Xakaza b.1965 Maphumulo, KwaZulu-Natal, studied for his PhD at the University of the Western Cape and is currently the Director of the Durban Art Gallery. Xakaza’s work is influenced by the art and ideas of 19th-century German artist Caspar David Friedrich; He creates paintings that depict uninhabited scenes of the mountainous regions in KwaZulu-Natal, focusing on themes related to spirituality.
Landscape painting in South Africa has historically been associated predominantly with white artists, whose works documented their experiences. The perspective of black artists regarding their own environment was often underrepresented; factors such as the 1913 Land Act may have influenced this, as it led to significant changes in land ownership.
Contemporary art history now acknowledges the role black artists play in documenting and interpreting landscapes based on their perspectives. Xakaza approaches the KwaZulu landscape through a traditional Zulu cosmological lens, producing meditative views informed by oral histories.
His painting Symbols presents the region’s scenery as an environment shaped by cultural narratives. Xakaza uses layered oil paints and glazes to build colour and form, aiming to convey the atmosphere and intangible qualities present in these landscapes.
His artworks are held in various South African museum, corporate and private collections.
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