adminART is spiritual; it is inspirational. Art memorialises life by giving it fresh prominence when old experiences from the past are artistically expressed. It expresses one’s lived experiences.
Studio 13 in the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo is our venue. Israel Israel the accomplished metal sculptor is today on the spotlight. The room in which we carry out the interview speaks volumes about both itself and the artist. Mangled and jumbled pieces of metal are seemingly muddled all over, some rusted others not. There are metallic rods, metal spirals and metals very robust and cutting curious forms within the brimming room.
On the surface it conjures the image of a cemetery, a deathbed of discarded dead metal. How wrong you are to so think. The studio pleasantly turns out to be the creative labour ward where creativity gives birth to amazing and imaginative pieces of art. Here art, in the form of metal art which sometimes is referred to as weld art, relives Israel’s past in an effortlessly artistic way. Creativity is indeed godliness. But who is Israel Israel, with a repeated and poetic Biblical name?
Israel is of Malawian origin, his grandfather having arrived in Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) during the colonial period when Malawians came to power the labour market.
“I was raised by my maternal grandmother in Bulawayo’s Njube Township having been born at Mpilo Hospital in 1967,” says Israel with an artistically sculpted smile.
Young Israel also grew up in Gwabalanda Township and attended Matshayisikhova and Fusi primary schools between 1977 and 1983. He then attended Luveve Secondary School from 1984 to 1987. It was then time to attend Mzilikazi Art and Craft Centre where his career in art shaped and later blossomed. He got a Certificate in Art in 1992.
Among his teachers at Mzilikazi Art and Craft Centre Israel remembers Adam Madebe who popularised metal sculpture. He also remembers Alphio Mwewa, David Ndlovu and Anthony Ngwenya. In the initial stages of the course students attending Mzilikazi Art and Craft Centre did a whole gamut of subjects on offer: Fine Art, Ceramic Sculpture, Stone Sculpture, Wood Sculpture, Commercial Art and Pottery. After this initial general grounding students then went on to specialise. For Israel the choice was Metal Sculpture. After Mzilikazi Art and Craft Centre it was time to enter the world of art work, in the subject he specialised in, that is Metal Sculpture the very subject that provided outlet for his creative instincts.
“Mzilikazi Art School used to assist students from a poor financial background. When it came to the work we did, we found all of us doing the same work, for example production of metal sculpture that depicted the earliest inhabitants of Zimbabwe, the San.”
Israel remembers with fondness and some sense of gratitude the name of one of his teachers David Ndlovu. Gone to Mozambique for over 30 years, Ndlovu used to offer Israel metal scrap.
“At Mzilikazi Art and Craft Centre you had to be self-driven otherwise you would lag behind and fail to grasp much,” recalls Israel.
As he speaks I take a curious gaze at the contents of his art studio which is full with items and tools of his trade: scrap metal of various shapes and glitter or coats of dreary rust, tall anvil and a small hammer, grey clay from near the Gwayi River along the Victoria Falls Road. There is a welding machine, welding rods and a guillotine to cut metal. On a daily basis Israel is either cutting metal, welding pieces together or shaping metal into a subject of his creative mind.
In metal sculpture the name that gave it prominence in the world of art was that of his former teacher Adam Madebe who sculpted a gigantic metal piece titled “Looking to the Future.” His famed creation graced the gardens outside the Bulawayo Municipal Tower Block. The then Minister of Local Government adjudged the imposing creation as nude and violating public decency. The masterpiece was ordered removed from its pride of place. It was taken to the courtyard within the National Gallery where it was gingerly consumed by many pairs of eyes both local and international till it got embroiled in yet another controversy. That marked the fall of the giant who then lay on his back in some dingy room — presumed naked art, buried like a king — in a cave in Adam’s suit.
I was keen to get some appreciation of what it is that propelled Israel to fame in his chosen art genre. For a while Israel taught Art at Enkanyisweni Art Centre in Bulawayo’s Njube Township where he partnered with the late George Nene. It was through his own effort that he perfected the art of working with metal. He uses clay from Gwayi to mould whatever he wishes to make. Once the imagined piece of work is cast, metal is then placed over it so that metal assumes the shape of the mould. However, Israel points out that one does not always have to start with clay casting.
When Israel starts talking about creativity he comes to life. He has participated in several exhibitions or workshops outside Zimbabwe such as in Botswana, Zambia, South Africa and Scotland where he has showcased the one item that he talks most passionately about, the jacket. Through unique portrayal of a jacket he has handled many themes.
Given a strong Pentecostal background from youth, Israel got to know about Joseph’s jacket of many colours which courted envy from his brothers. Israel used to win many art competitions and to this day he is still associated with success wherever he takes part in art competitions.
“Art is about creativity. An artist is like God. When you lose creativity you cease to be an artist. You may continue engaging in some demand-supply operation which is characteristic of craftspersons. Art is unique all the time. You do not produce identical creations as happens among the craftspersons who may find a niche and produce and supply more and more of the item in demand. That is not art. An artist sees what other people may not see. Discarded tea bags may be turned into some artistic creation. Metal art in most cases makes use not of metal that is bought from some metal shop but scrap metal which other people see as constituting junk.”
Israel will see a metallic drum and get inspired to sculpt a tortoise. He has recently produced a piece depicting a tortoise walking across the courtyard in the Gallery.
“This to me is not art. It does not give me satisfaction. Anyone can produce a tortoise this after copying from a picture of a tortoise. Through the multifaceted portrayal of a jacket Israel has carved a niche for himself by infusing symbolic meanings in the jacket. Your jacket is your identity and your finger print. Zimbabwe is a jacket in which we all live. If you do not wear the appropriate jacket you may fail to project an image that you wish to offer,” says Israel emphatically.
Recently he held an exhibition in Harare, which was a harvest of jackets. He has an exhibition running at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo. Featured here are several thematic tomato wooden trays that his maternal grandmother used to raise the family. It was the sale of tomatoes that raised school fees to afford him to go to school.
The sacrifices of his grandmother have thus been immortalised through the medium of art. Lived experiences find expression through art — this time in the form of multimedia as Israel sometimes combines metal with wood and other material. Collaboration opens opportunities where otherwise some artists would be excluded. In line with his conviction for collaboration Israel roped in Lerato Motau from Harare and Erica Luttich from Cape Town in South Africa.
The current exhibition is called Kwacha, a Chewa word meaning sunrise which signifies a new beginning. Israel is keen that all ethnic groups in Zimbabwe portray themselves through art. He has even used a Venda word in his artistic exploits For Israel art extends to naming. Married to Prisca, Israel has given thematic names to his children: Israel Israel Jr, Misrael, Disrael, Nikisrael and Ashleigh.
Online Reporter