Mahlathini Street II

Born in 1938, South African artist David Koloane spent much of his life under apartheid: an experience which pervades his work. Spanning drawing, painting and collage, his practice addresses questions surrounding human rights and political injustice, filtered through fractured representations of his urban surroundings. Depicting Mahlathini Street in Johannesburg, the present work demonstrates his combined use of abstract and figurative techniques in order to conjure the frantic complexities of the city. Until his death in 2019, Koloane played a transformative role in South Africa’s wider art scene: he was one of the founding members of Johannesburg’s first black gallery in 1977, and went on to make important contributions as a curator, writer and teacher, championing young artists during a time of segregation and discrimination. Widely celebrated for his achievements as an artist, activist and cultural pioneer, Koloane is represented in collections including the Contemporary African Art Collection, the South African National Gallery and the Botswana National Museum.