The artwork of exceptional artists, Liezel de Lange and Artanacio Mupanganyemba, from Jeffreys Bay, has been chosen for showcase at the prestigious collaborative art exhibition hosted by the Miniature Art Society of South Africa (MASSA) and the Drawing Guild of South Africa, from October 31 to November 6 at Hyde Park Corner in Johannesburg.
As previously reported by Kouga Express, De Lange, a member of the Kouga Art Society, uses various forms of media which include oils, acrylics, and watercolours for her paintings.
After completing her National Diploma in Fine Arts at Vaal Technikon in 1991, she continued to work in interior decoration for 25 years.
When she moved to Jeffreys Bay in 2017 from Vanderbijlpark, she began working on painting full-time and now offers art classes at Palette Art Gallery and Studio.
De Lange, who has been a member of the Drawing Guild since it was established in 2019, has been fortunate to have her artwork selected for the platform’s exhibitions in 2021 and 2022.
To her surprise, her artwork has been chosen for the third year in a row and will be showcased at Hyde Park Corner.
“Every year the standard of the competition becomes more difficult and this year the standard was extremely high,” said De Lange.
She said 29 artists from across South Africa were chosen for the exhibition, many of whom were primarily dry media artists who focused mainly on drawing.
Since the competition required artists to submit dry medium artwork only, De Lange said that as a multi-disciplinary artist with drawing as only one of her art mediums, it was a huge honour to have her art piece chosen.
Inspired by the way light falls onto and through trees in the beautiful Storms River National Park, she used graphite pencil, charcoal, soft pastel, and colouring pencils to create her beautiful art piece for the Degrees of Realism category.
Since she generally works on a very smooth hot-pressed paper, De Lange said that she took a huge risk by using a cold-pressed watercolour paper that had a slight texture.
“It was very experimental, and it could have backfired, but a good work of art is always created outside of an artist’s comfort zone,” she said, adding that since the standards for the competition were extremely high she was not sure if she would be chosen again this year.
“Sometimes it takes hours and hours of work, and sometimes it takes months to produce high quality work. Having my work chosen for the exhibition means I have received recognition for my consistency and hard work,” said De Lange.
Judging for the competition was conducted by some of South Africa’s top dry medium artists, and De Lange said that it meant a great deal to her that her work was recognised by fellow artists.
Growing up in Honde Valley in Zimbabwe, Mupanganyemba said that he became fascinated with drawing at an early age as his older brother, Atkinson, did art at school.
He said that his love for art empowered him to complete his national certificate in professional art and design from Mutare Polytechnical College in 2014.
In 2018 Mupanganyemba moved to Jeffreys Bay, and finally in 2019 his journey as a professional wildlife artist began after he made the decision to pursue the path of conservation through creativity and art.
“Art for me is about self-expression, craftsmanship, purpose, and concept. l can often sit for hours at a time at my drafting table completely absorbed in the work that l am doing. l hate to be disturbed while working because l find such peace of mind, happiness, and relaxation when drawing, even if that means missing dinner,” said Mupanganyemba.
His dedication and appreciation for art has seen his work being displayed at various local exhibitions, and now two of his art pieces will be showcased alongside the exceptional work of many other South African artists.
“I was very happy and excited that two of my drawings are going to be on display at the Degrees of Realism 2023 Exhibition,” said Mupanganyemba.
“Being selected is a validation of my art pieces and I am very grateful for the opportunity to show my art in a public space.”
Referring to his two art pieces that have been chosen for the exhibition, Mupanganyemba said that his art is an expression of the love he holds for the natural world.
“My wildlife and portrait artworks seek to capture the scenes and events in the wild and to show others the beauty and diversity of the world,” said Mupanganyemba.
“Expressing my love of nature in my art is something that l have done since l was a child and will always do.”
Mupanganyemba said that the Degree of Realism category allowed him to capture nature’s beauty, especially animals that are a part of nature, just as humans are.
He further said that he plans to continue creating art that celebrates wildlife, expresses environmental concerns and animal rights, and shows his love for nature.
In addition to the exhibition at Hyde Park Corner, both De Lange and Mupanganyemba will see their artwork on display again at a local exhibition for artists in Kouga at the Arthur Fennell Hall at Marina Martinique, from December 4 to 8.
For more information about the Kouga Art Society, or for art class booking, contact Liezel de Lange on 083 578 4104.
To join the South African Drawing Guild, visit their website on https://thedrawingguild.co.za/.
