Follow Your Heart. Express Your Passion.

Growing up in a township in the 90’s was fun, we’d play on the streets without fear, visit almost every house and I remember on neighbours' treasured frames on the wall, my eyes always glanced on these interestingly dyed art pieces –for some reason I seemed to have believed it was a Chinese male artist or a ‘machine’ that made them. I suppose the reason for the latter was I always saw the face of this woman that looked Chinese (didn’t bother to think maybe she was Korean or Japanese…)

To a rather pleasant surprise as I try to nurture my relationship with art I discover that the artist of these art works is Vladimir Tretchikoff , born in Russia and migrated to South Africa in 1946. He did not only paint Asian women but Zulu, Swazi and Ndebele maidens as well.

On my more recent encounters with Tretchikoff’s artwork, I bumped into a lady wearing a badge with one of the famous pieces and I uttered words of admiration, she was quick to respond and tell me how he was shun and disregarded while crafting his work but now everyone celebrates it.

So naturally I walked away wondering and disappointed. I decided to do a little research on this artist I had grown fond of and I discovered that there are some paintings which could have created animosity – a collection titled ‘the ten commandments’, they do look a bit odd to the naked eye and for this Tretchikoff is really discredited.

On a personal note, I still believe he was a great artist, with a phenomenal view of the use of colour and I’m very proud that he chose Africa as his adopted home. The exhibition of his work is currently on display at the Iziko South African National Gallery until September 2011.

my Lumumba feature for this post – Fally Ipupa

Not only have I featured him for his gorgeous look and gobsmacking African dance moves, Ippa Nsimba is from the Democratic Republic of Congo but he is breaking through all boundaries to make it international. He won 2 awards at the MAMAs – MTV Base awards in Nigeria last year and was nominated for a BET award which took place in June this year.

He is just one of many African artists who are showing the rest that your current circumstance cannot determine your future and if you do what you love, opportunities that bring success go beyond infinity.