adminartworks lose value from poor construction and preparation.”
It is against this backdrop that John Kotze has become one of Zimbabwe’s accomplished oil painters.
Recently, John held a two-week oil painting workshop with the National Gallery Visual Art Studios second- and third-year students. The workshop was part of John’s project, which will see him host a one-man exhibition at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in November.
The first workshop of its kind for the Visual Art Studios’ students was a great boost in the right direction in terms of building skills and confidence.
During the course of the two weeks the students had the opportunity of touring John’s workshop at his home as well as viewing some of his earliest and present works. The students were also taught how to build and prepare their own sturdy canvasses.
A mini exhibition was held on August 7 at the Mbare Studios and was graced by the presence of the EU Ambassador Mr Aldo Dell’Ariccia, National Gallery executive director Mrs Doreen Sibanda, her deputy Mr Raphael Chikukwa and Culture Fund director Mr Farai Mfunya.
The works produced at the end of the workshop by the students were a by-product of John’s aim to introduce new techniques of oil painting and realism.
Below are some of the comments sent to John by his students after the workshop:
During the workshop I learnt a lot of things about painting since it was my first time painting with oil paint. I had to make my own frame and had to stretch my canvas. This was a fascinating experience. I then started preparing my canvas for painting and the methods that we were taught by John were different from what I had seen being done by other artists. The painting process was the fun part of the workshop as I learnt how to mix different shades of one colour.
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I would like to thank God who sent you as a messenger to us so as to deliver a message that made us see light at the end of the dark tunnel we are in.
It has been a most inspiring event which was so hard to overcome. But I’m so grateful that John came with a solution. I would wish for the first years to get through this also. I would like to thank again the sponsors and everybody who gave a hand to the success of this event.
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John Kotze is one of the best I have met in workshops. The way he instructs, speaks and attends is just easily understood by many and whatever he does in his works he definitely has a specific working reason for doing so.
John’s solo exhibition in November will run under the theme “Abstract”.
It will explore the interplay between realism and abstract painting through the use of photography as a source of everyday images that surround us.
He returns with an exhibition of large, substantial works after six years because he believes that now is the time to show what has happened to John as an artist in these intervening years.
l Rutendo Mutadzapasi works for the National Gallery
Online Reporter