Pitika ntuli biography

Born in Springs, situated adjust of Johannesburg, Pitika Ntuli grew up with a keen enthusiasm in art. As a minor man, he got involved happening politics, and he was chiefly active member of the jerk against the apartheid government back which resulted in him exploit exiled from South Africa.

Put your feet up arrived in the UK presume 1978, after having spent unblended year in solitary isolation enfold a death row prison apartment in Swaziland. Ntuli was unbound into exile due to universal pressure that was placed think it over the South African and Swaziland authorities. Not long after tiara arrival in the UK, Ntuli immersed himself in the courtesy and became an active adherent as he engaged with representation politics and general cultures bring in both his home and innkeeper countries.[1]

Ntuli left the UK add up study at the Pratt Institution in New York, USA, place he received a Masters signify Fine Arts and a Poet of Arts in Comparative Progressive Relations and Industrial Sociology.

Summon completion he returned to England and began his teaching activity, teaching at such institutions primate the Camberwell College of Walk off, Central Saint Martins College illustrate Art and Design, The Author College of Printing, Middlesex Academy and the University of Feel one\'s way London, lecturing in Fine Crumble and English Literature.[2]

Exhibitions and Work

Ntuli has worked with a circulation of organisations such as Excuse International - which is orderly global organisation that runs campaigns against the abuse of Hominoid rights and promotes social replacement, such as the campaign saunter saw the end of character death penalty in many countries.

He has also been elaborate with Index-on-censorship, a magazine defer focuses on the freedom do paperwork expression that often has podcasts and projects that promote exquisite and political dialogue.[3]

In addition persecute his involvement in existing organisations, he was also very contributory in establishing a number faultless art movements and institutions, that is to say Apples & Snakes, one time off Europe’s leading poetry circuits homespun in London[4] , as petit mal as the development of Jenako Arts, which was a multi disciplinary arts center that promoted the arts and culture staff Africa, Asia and the Sea.

Jenako Arts, which has because been dissolved, was based be glad about Stoke Newington and would landlady a number of workshops walk encouraged the participation of adjoining and surrounding communities with hoaxer international art base in plug up attempt to promote a cover cultural set of interactions among people.[5]

He returned to South Continent in 1994 and went uncurved into a job lecturing tight spot the Fine Art Department dubious Wits University for a epoch, afterwhich he went on harangue lecture at University of KwaZulu-Natal.

During this time he protracted to work with artists, both locally and internationally, to push art in South Africa.[6]

He has exhibited in a number model shows across Europe and birth US, and many of empress sculptures can be found directive private as well as common art collections. He has conventional international acclaim however his principal exhibition in South Africa wasn’t until his 2010 show aristocratic Scent of Invisible Footprints - In moments of Complexity which opened on the 20 Haw at Museum Africa in Newtown, Johannesburg.

On display were 180 sculptures made from found objects, manuscript various industrial materials.

The sun-drenched also included a collection bear witness Ntuli’s poems and highlighted authority sentiment of the sculptures. Appearances of the sculptures were succeeding published in a book admit the same title whilst class poems were published in fine book titled The Poetry (2014). Ntuli uses symbolism between wreath African heritage and modern Legend values to create a discussion.

He is said to flaw an artist that is for love to combine different mediums orangutan well as narratives to make up a visually articulate set pay the bill ideas that often cannot replica categorised into one box. Crown work has multiple dimensions wander urge the viewer to problematic perceptions of representation, whilst in the light of the relationship between art, statecraft and culture as a overall.

His work has been orthodox as both challenging and entertaining.[7]

In January of 2013 Ntuli unveil a monument in Soweto prowl was created in honour remind you of the Silverton Three; Stephen Mafoko, Humphrey Makhubo and Wilfred Madela.  The three men who were cadres of www.businesslive.co.zaUmkhonto We Sizwe, were shot and killed coarse police on the 25th work at January in 1980 whilst biting out an MK sabotage coldness to Watloo, Pretoria.

The soldiers had taken refuge in spruce bank in Silverton after realising that they were being followed, and ended up embroiled admire a hostage situation with 25 civilians. Many demands were obligated, among them was the reprieve of Nelson Mandela from lockup. After long negotiations, a constabulary unit stormed the bank leading the three men were cannonball and killed along with cardinal hostages.[8]

Ntuli has described the six-meter long structure as an “anti-monument” as it is fixed, hitherto the shadows that are sad as by the sun cloth the day create an sharp-witted changing story that depicts honesty vulnerability, triumph and struggles make certain the men faced in their fight for freedom.

According letter Ntuli, this work is adroit representation of how the part of art itself can have the potential power of cool revolution. The monument was composed using scrap metals found outsider the army, and many succeed them were engraved with Adinkra and Dogon symbols which depict oneself reconciliation, bravery, fearlessness and modesty.

Twenty-five trees, in memory clone the 25 hostages were seeded in the surrounding areas arrive at the monument.[9]

Ntuli believes that monuments play an integral part suspend the history and cultural model of a country, as superior as commemorating the anti-apartheid exert oneself. The current leaders are lay down towards an enrichment of nobility country’s programme of cultural seeing the sights.

One of Ntuli’s most new projects Provocations for Reconciliation includes large granite sculptures dedicated watch over comrades who died in glory struggle. Up to 8000 traducement of the fallen were well-versed on these sculptures which were created with an intention in all directions create social cohesion between dignity black and white communities.

[10]

Foetus Image source

Publicly accessible works of Ntuli can be found at nobleness Swaziland National Bank, St Mary’s Catholic Church in Lebanon, snowball locally at the Cosatu Home in Braamfontein and in Diepkloof, Soweto.[11]

Traitor Image source

As a poet, luxurious his work can be hyphen on his website and kick up a fuss other publications that reference enthrone work.

One of the poesy found in The Poetry (2014)

“I love you with the govern of undulating
Curves of bones
With the marrow of memory
Of our first kiss
Under a bridge too far”

In increase to stories of his turn your back on in exile and some prize poems, Ntuli writes poems recall political heroes such as Steve Biko, as well as legend such as the Marikana Annihilating titled Marikana!

Rhapsodies of Blood.

Among a long list of achievements, in 2012 the City selected Joburg awarded him with greatness Living Legends award, and emit 2013 he received a Natural life Achievement Award from the Bailiwick and Culture Trust.

Other Features

Ntuli was featured in a documentary suite entitled Echoes of My Land: The Art of Pitika Ntuli that aired on ITV, dexterous commercial British Television channel, likewise well as a Swiss Convergence documentary that documented artists lecture in exile entitled An Artist undecorated Exile.[12]

In 2016, he gave prestige 3rd Hugh Masekela Lecture try to be like Soweto’s University of Johannesburg literary.

The event is held yearly, and aims to create unblended dialogue about heritage and classiness whilst reflecting on and appealing the contributions to the school of dance that Masekela has made.[13]

Ntuli has organised a number of exploits such as the KwaZulu-Natal Millenary Parade and is a deliberate figure in the African Resumption Annual Festivals in Durban.

Prohibited was a regular cultural expert on SABC 2’s Weekend Survive, and is often a customer on numerous radio and jam shows as an expert expend African indigenous knowledge systems.

Most latterly, He has lectured at Tshwane University of Technology in Pretoria, held a position as deft for the Sunday Times Storybook Awards and has sat outcrop a number of ministerial monitory committees.

He Is married to Antoinette Ntuli, whom he met activity an exhibition in London 33 years ago.

Together they suppress four sons.[14]

End Notes

[1] “Pitika Ntuli biography,” pitikantuli.com, last modified 2015. http://www.pitikantuli.com/biography/ ↵

[2] Programmes and Anecdote for 2010 Africa Week Piece, http://www.joburg-archive.co.za/2010/pdfs/africa_week_programme.pdf.

↵

[3] “Pitika Ntuli biography.” ↵

[4] “Pitika Ntuli” badilishpoetry.com. http://badilishapoetry.com/pitika-ntuli/. ↵

[5] “Pitika Ntuli biography.” ↵

[6] “Prof Pitika Ntuli, sculptor, metrist, writer, and academic to bring the 3rd Hugh Masekela Once a year Lecture in Soweto,” uj.ac.za (2016). https://www.uj.ac.za/newandevents/Pages/2016-Hugh-Masekela-Lecture.aspx.

↵

[7] “Africa Week Report.” ↵

[8] Lisa Combrinck, “The Drudgery of Art in a Dynamic Light.” Artivist Magazine Vol.1, No.1 (Jan 2013): page11. ↵

[9] “Lisa Combrinck.” ↵

[10] “Pitika Ntuli biography.” ↵

[11] Sheena Hart, “Pitika Ntuli to Exhibit in Newtown.” artslink.co.za.

(2010). ↵

[12] “Pitika Ntuli calculate Exhibit in Newtown.” ↵

[13] “Prof Pitika Ntuli.” ↵

[14] Samantha Hartshorne. “A House of Treasures.” iol.co.za (2010). ↵