Gcina Maduna b 1956 Johannesburg is a self-taught artist specialising in pastel but more recently, is exploring the effects of mixed media.
His lifelong love of jazz and its musicality is evident in his compositions combined with his unique colour intuition. The explosive colour contrasts in his musical compositions convey energy, movement and syncopated sound. A static moment in time is transformed into visual memory.
In the portrait of Mmatote (b.1912) (selected in the Sanlam Top 100 Portraits 2023) tired eyes stare into the distance of life’s memories. A child farm labourer in the Free State, she moved in the 40’s to Johannesburg, in search of a better life. Abused and accosted by all the men she met, her determined resilience radiates, buoyed by her proudly self-knitted blue hat and tight set mouth.
Maduna’s artistic versatility is demonstrated in the portrait of a Goose. The misty soft toned pastel background embraces the elegant bird as he struts proudly through the landscape. The Goose portrait unwittingly references the elegance of the regal character of the bird portrayed over centuries of art making.
The portraits of the Blue Cranes in the canola fields of the Western Cape imparts a different interpretation whilst also suggesting the fragility and beauty of wild birdlife.
Maduna’s deeply felt love for humanity is demonstrated in his wide-ranging choice of human subject matter. Never judgmental, he explores the beauty of old age, youth, and those in the prime of their lives with tenderness and compassion. His portraits of jazz musicians capture their intrinsic passion for both their instruments and the music from which they coax the sounds emanating from their own musicality. The portraits vibrate with these harmonies and rythmns.
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