Hout Bay’s very own Mambakwedza (Mamba) Mutasa and Gerhard van der Westhuizen from Soul Gallery will exhibit some of their works at this year’s Cape Town Homemakers Expo, taking place from Thursday August 29 to Sunday September 1 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC).
The pair met at the Festival of Art, held in Franschhoek in May last year.
“With a keen interest in each other’s work, we instantly connected and realised that we share a passion for what we do and how we create it,” said Gerhard.
“That initial meeting would ultimately be the beginning of a powerful journey of artistic collaboration for us.”
“And as we always say to each other, it was a match made in heaven. Everything starts with an idea and with us, the results were beyond our wildest imagination,” added Mamba, who is originally from Harare, Zimbabwe.
Shortly after they became new-found friends, who share the same vision and enthusiasm for what they do, they opened Soul Gallery in December 2018.
“Our gallery showcases our collaborative art where our techniques, emotions and visual influences are combined, resulting in unusual and one-of-a-kind pieces,” Gerhard told the Sentinel.
While Gerhard creates the paintings, Mamba, does the sculpting, using materials including metal, stone and driftwood. Many have
said he has the uncanny ability to create shapes and life-like movements.
“The artistic urge reveals something very central about the nature of human beings. Art can touch the souls of people who enjoy it but also reveals something about the souls of the artists,” he says.
When asked to describe what art meant to him and Gerhard, they both agreed that it was a language, which exposed a captured thought, feeling or emotion.
The artists are excited for
what the future holds. “The expo is the perfect platform to expose
our work and market the gallery, among many professionals,” said Gerhard.
