26 July 2016
It’s not easy being a young artist, fresh out of university.
Few people know you, so getting your work out there can be tricky. This is where Zanele Mashumi comes in. She is the mastermind behind Mashumi Art Projects, which promotes the work of novices in the art arena. Mashumi, 27, works mainly in her hometown of Soweto, where she has curated several exhibitions at various venues – so many she’s lost, count.
She also worked as an assistant production curator at the Joburg Art Fair from 2012 to 2014, and curated an exhibition for Coca-Cola, celebrating 100 years of its contour bottle.
But she doesn’t just focus on the new artists on the block; she also has a special interest in first-time art buyers and is passionate about giving them access to art that isn’t overly complex. During Joburg Art Week 2014, Mashumi curated an exhibition featuring the work of internationally acclaimed artist Patrick Mautloa, himself a native of Soweto.
She hopes this will be the first of many exhibitions acknowledging Soweto’s art legends. Moving forward, she dreams of replicating what she’s done in Soweto in the rest of the country. That day doesn’t seem too far off.
“Happiness is a feeling that has no possessions. It’s more of acknowledging how far you’ve come as a human being. #SundayThought”, says Innovator, Zanele Mashumi.
AUTHOR: FATIMA ASMAL
source : https://www.tyi.co.za/our-people/innovators/mzansis-100-innovator-zanele-mashumi-53915775391577