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19 August 2020 | Story Rulanzen Martin | Photo Supplied

Virtual Exhibition Is Now Closed

 

Art in itself is a journey of self-exploration; with a global pandemic raging, art lovers can now explore this journey virtually. The Johannes Stegmann Gallery at the University of the Free State (UFS) is happy to announce the (second) virtual exhibition of Leeto: a Sam Nhlengethwa Print Retrospective until 4 September 2020. 

 


Sam Nhlengethwa, Tribute to Lemmy 'Special' Mabaso, 2002, Seven colour lithograph, 76 x 106 cm, 
 Artwork courtesy of the artist and the Goodman Gallery. 


The exhibition features a collection of Sam Nhlengethwa’s print work to be interrogated, his artistic evolution to be mapped out, and his personal aesthetics to be interpreted, while surveying this renowned artist’s print work from 1978 to 2018.  The underlying theme of the exhibition is jazz, an early influence in Nhlengethwa’s works from the underground jazz community of the townships. His brother was a jazz musician and he started collecting jazz records from the early age of 17.

Leeto is a Setswana/Sesotho word for ‘journey’ and, as the word suggests, the exhibition explores the ongoing artistic footsteps of the artist. The collection was curated by Boitumelo Tlhoaele, a doctoral fellow in the Africa Open Institute for Music, Research, and Innovation at Stellenbosch University.

Dedicated to Victor Ndlazilwana, 1994, Colour lithograph, 40 x 60 cm

 
Dedicated to Victor Ndlazilwana, 1994, Colour lithograph, 40 x 60 cm
Artwork courtesy of the artist and the Goodman Gallery.




About the artist: 

Nhlengethwa began his career in 1976 during one of South Africa’s most tumultuous socio-political eras. In 1978, he completed a two-year diploma at the Evangelical Lutheran Church Art and Craft Centre, Rorke’s Drift, KwaZulu-Natal, where printmaking was a prominent feature of the centre’s activities. Nhlengethwa’s work spans a variety of mediums, from painting, drawing to collage, and some of his works have been translated into tapestries. One of his big cityscape works was translated into a mosaic. In addition to all the afore-mentioned mediums, Nhlengethwa also produced an impressive and sizeable body of printmaking works. 

He has collaborated with several South African printmaking studios, such as The Artists’ Press, Artist Proof Studio, David Krut Print Workshop, LL Editions Fine Art Lithography Studio, MK and Artist Print Workshop, Mo Editions Printmaking Studio, and Sguzu Printmaker’s Workshop. Since 1994, he has produced 163 prints in collaboration with The Artists’ Press, making it his longest and most productive affiliation. 


 

News Archive

Researchers focus on parrots, poultry and phage therapy
2014-10-10

Photo: en.wikipedia

Veterinary biotechnology focuses on microbial and molecular biological approaches to veterinary illnesses. The group working on veterinary biotechnology research at the University of the Free State (UFS) consists of two academic staff members, Prof Rob Bragg and Dr Charlotte Boucher, two post-doctoral fellows, Drs Chris Theron and Arina Hitzeroth, five PhD and three honours students.

The group has three research focus areas.

Dr Boucher says, “Our main focus area is infectious coryza in poultry, caused by the bacterium Avibacterium paragalliarum. The aim is the control of the disease, mainly through improvement of vaccines, understanding the immune response and improved biosecurity. A key objective is improving methods for serotyping; studying of selected surface antigens and investigating the influence recently discovered bacteriophages might have on virulence. We have co-operative projects with research groups in China, India and Israel.

“The second focus area is an expression system co-developed with the National Institute for Agronomic Research (INRA), France. The flagship project is the expression of the coat protein gene of the beak and feather disease virus, a disease affecting parrots, currently threatening the endangered Cape parrot. This system has led to the development of serological tests, currently under patenting. The application of this system has been extended to human-related diseases, with two interdisciplinary projects underway, co-working with Profs Muriel Meiring and Felicity Burt. Prof Meiring is working on diseases causing bleeding disorders, such as blood-clotting impairment, while Prof Burt is working on viral infections causing haemorrhagic (bleeding) disorders.

“We are also researching disease control in a post-antibiotic era, investigating the potential of phage-therapy by targeting and destroying pathogenic islands within a host, with reduced side-effects on the host itself.

“We have smaller projects, including an interdisciplinary project with Zoology, looking at the protein profile of amphibian (frog) secretions with the focus on antimicrobial activity, as these secretions assist with protecting amphibian skin against infections.”  


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