CV

Background

UBUHLE BOBUNTU ARTS was formed on 10th February 2011 and registered on 14th April 2011 under the Department of SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT. An organisation for artists and managed by artists. We saw a need to create collaborations between artists who just completed their formal art training from various institutions and those who already exhibiting artists. Our mandate is to create opportunities for our members to exhibit their portfolios in an effort of granting them mobility with self discovery in the art world as the all-encompassing outcome. We have a strong interest in visual art because this is area that has enabled our artist to have a desire for exploring their mediums to further heights.

Profile 

UBUHLE BOBUNTU ARTS worked on a public art project at the Walter Sisulu Square in Kliptown called CARDBOARD MUNUMENT on the 3rd-6th March 2011. Our objective was to reflect on our constitutional rights and look at the history of KLIPTOWN.

We conducted a motivation at FUNDA COMMUNITY COLLEGE for 1st, 2nd and 3rd year students on what their working toward conceptual growth and quality of artwork presentation.

Our organisation was invited to a collaboration of Soweto based artists in a group exhibition called CELEBRATING AFRICAN ART –EXPRESSION WITHOUT BORDERS at THE SOWETO HOTEL ON FREEDOM SQUARE. Two artists from the organisation where selected to exhibit international in Netherlands’, izart gallery   
A group exhibition and collaboration of music and art in Newtown at Kaldice Café, 2011 

Our organization exhibited in the SOWETO FESTIVAL EXPO 2011, ARTS PAVILION which aimed at branding young emerging artists of Soweto, celebrating and showcasing the richness of the local community’s art. The arts pavilion provided a platform for creative entrepreneurs to exhibit and market their products to South Africans and international tourists. One artist from the organization was branded in the expo guide catalogue. 23-25 SEPT 2011 JHB EXPO CENTRE NASREC

The organization exhibited at MUSEUM AFRICA under the theme LIBERATION OF MIND, BODY AND SOUL, Our exhibition is to cultivate to our community the conceptual dynamics of liberating our minds, our bodies and souls. The core reality bent on understanding situations that underpin the challenges of life is to highlight negligent perceptive forces by educating the youth and veterans in evoking their conscious minds thus reminding them about their historical self worth as informed by issues of identity, culture and heritage that drives in reaching the concept of African renaissance by applying ancient principles. This exhibition was organized and curated by the executive members for its members. 24 NOV 2011- 18 APRIL 2012. The exhibition was selected to launch the opening of the new SOWETO THEATRE with an exhibition of Soweto based artists and it was launched on the 25 May 2012-still running

Two opportunity opened from the Museum Africa exhibition-Three artists from the organization where selected to showcase in a group exhibition collaborating with the San Bushmen artists of KURU ART CENTRE from Botswana under the theme HUNTER-GATHERER at MATH ROOM GALLERY, ARTS ON MAIN, 14 April-6 May 2012.

2012 August in PRETORIA MUSEUM two artists were given the opportunity to exhibit in a group exhibition, artists participating Bongani Khumalo & Sinalo Ntuli.

2012 September 01 -Group exhibition at Funda Community College where visual artist including UBUHLE BOBUNTU ARTS artists take on vandalism in Soweto , titled “VANDALISM”, essentially the project was focused on symbolical functions of space in and around Soweto and the preconceived idea about social behaviour as informed by vandalism. The conceived idea of this project-space as a working process negotiates a better understanding about space configuration, order, transformation and the role space play in our social construct .As well as the importance of visual arts and its contribution in society, especially in Soweto.     

2012 August 18 -GRUOP EXHIBTION at BAMBOO in Melville, titled” IMAGES OF WOMEN” created by Vula Amehlo Art  Development ,participating artists ,Velaphi Masondo, Thomas Moremi, Joseph Monnatlala, Mzi Gojo, Lehlohonolo Mkhasibe, Sinalo Ntuli ,Thabo Molapo & Thulani Zondo .

2012 May 25 – GROUP EXHIBITION which was part of the launch of the new Soweto theatre by U.B.A. members as follows:- Lehlohonolo Mkhasibe ,Thulani Zondo, Mzie  Gojo, Joseph Monnatlala ,Virginia Ramovha ,  Thulisile Shongwe ,Thomas Moremi ,Mzikayise Nyathi Sinalo Ntuli Bongani Khumalo & Velaphi Masondo which is still running .
 Permanent Exhibition at the SOWETO THEATRE  where four artists were commissioned to produce artworks to market and brand them national and international ,participating artists Lehlohonolo Mkhasibe, Sinalo Ntuli Bongani Khumalo & Velaphi Masondo 

2012 August 03 -INTERNSHIPS ON CURATING for six months , to empower our members on working in professional environments and institutions e.g. JAG, Museum Africa and Credo Mtutwa Village to gain experience that will develop the org. for future projects 

The org participated on the very first launch SOWETO FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS 14-22 DEC 2012 at the Mofolo South Nursery. An event aim at showing the talent and business in Soweto, the org. represented the Fine Art by creating an exhibition to exposure our members to the community. Exhibiting members are Velaphi Masondo, Thomas Moremi, Joseph Monnatlala, Mzi Gojo, Lehlohonolo Mkhasibe, Sinalo Ntuli, Thabo Molapo, Thulani Zondo, Victor Mofukeng, Mbali Makhubu, Bongani Langa and Bongani Khumalo 

2013 April one of our members Lehlohonolo Mkhasibe was selected by Nomvula Cook (organizer) to exhibit at IDC (Industrial Development Corporation) in Sandton, in a group exhibition that help the organization to have good relations with the gallery and also gives the artist recognition and exposure within the complex market. 

2013 June 23, the executive committee organized an exhibition at HOUSE OF BAOBAB in MABONENG PRICINT, four artists where select with African ecstatic works that embrace our heritage and originality.    

2013 July 18, three artists where selected to represent the organization in a group exhibition at IDC (Industrial Development Corporative).Thulani Zondo, Mzi Gojo, Sinalithemba Ntuli were the artists that where branded through the opportunity. 

26 September 2013, IT CREATED OPPPORTUNITIES FOR THREE MEMBERS, THULANI ZONDO, MZIKAYISE NYATHI AND LEHLOHONOLO MKHASIBE TO LAUNCH THE NEW GALLERY CALLED JO-ANKE AT ORANGE GROOVE. 0NE OF OUR MEMBERS WAS INTERVIED BY POWER F.M. BRANDING THE ORGANISATION AND ALSO BRANDING THE NEW GALLERY THAT WE MENTIONED ABOVE .THE EXHIBITION WAS CURATED BY OUR MEMBER (LEHLOHONOLO MKHASIBE)

26 October2013 ART ON WAX PROJECTS, OUR MEMBERS WORKED TOGETHER WITH ART ON WORKS PROJECTS AND WE EXHIBITED OUR WORKS ON THESE PROJECTS. MEMBERS THAT PARTICIPATED WERE THULANI ZONDO, MZIE GOJO, LEHLOHONOLO MKASIBE AND VICTOR MOFOKENG AND VIRGINIA RAMOVHA AT SIQALO PARK.FLORIDA

07 December 2013 ART ON WAX PROJECTS AT HOUSE OF BAOBAB IN MABONENG PRICINT SOME OF OUR MEMBERS EXHIBITED ON THE PROJECT, {MZIE GOJO, LEHLOHONOLO MKHASIBE AND VIRGINIA RAMOVHA. WE ALSO HAD A MANDELA WORKSHOP WITH CHILDREN, AFTER THE FALLEN OF THE GREAT TREE TWO DAYS AGO. CHILDREN WERE TO PAINT SYMBOLISM ABOUT THE IMPRISONMENT OF THE LATE GREAT LEADER. WE CALLED THE ONE PAINTING WAS FOR ACHIEVING  THE FREEDOM AND LIBERATION THAT WE GOT AND THESE KIDS HAD TO PAINT TWENTY SEVEN PAINTINGS  AS THE SYMBOL OF THE YEARS THAT THE FORMER PRESIDENT HAD SERVED IN PRISON.

WE WERE ALSO INCLUDED TO CREATE  A  SET-UP OF THE UNCLE”S TOM HALL WITH INTERIOR DESIGNS  TO INSPIRE SOCIAL ENTREPRENOURS THAT WERE PARTICIPATING IN THE ACADEMY (WWW.redbull/amaphiko academy.com).THE U.B.A. PARTICIPANTS WERE JOSEPH MONNATLALA, LEHLOHONOLO MKHASIBE, THULANI ZONDO, SINALO NTULI, VELAPHI MASONDO AND THABO MOLAPO
ART ON WAX PROJECTS EXHIBITION, titled DIGITAL VERSUS ANALOG AT BIZZARE IN MABONENG PRESINT THE ARTWORKS WERE CREATED WITH VYNALS AND THREE MEMBERS EXHIBITED (THULANI ZONDO, LEHLOHONOLO MKHASIBE AND THABO MOLAPO.

ARTIST WERE SELECTED TO CREATE THE LONGEST MURAL IN SOUTH AFRICA USING A NEW TECHNIC AT THE NEW MEMORIAL ACRE FOR JUNE 16 IN SOWETO.OUR FOUR ARTISTS WERE SELECTED AMONGST ONE HUNDRED FIFTY  ARTIST WHO BIDDED AND OUR ARTISTS WERE LEHLOHONOLO MKHASIBE ,SINALO NTULI, JOSEPH MONNATLALA AND THABO MOLAPO.
WE WERE ABLE TO FIND AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ONE MEMBER (MZIE GOJO) TO EXHIBIT ON THE INCEPTION OF THE NEW GALLERY IN SOWETO CALLED LEGWAPA GALLERY.

12 OCTOBER 2014 U.B.A.  HAD AN EXHIBITION  AT MUSEUM AFRICA  UNDER THE THEME CALLED THE GOOD NOSTALGIO .THE EXHIBITION WAS BASED ON THE RECYCLING MATERIAL, THE EXHIBITED ARTIST WERE ,THULANI ZONDO ,LEHLOHONOLO MKHASIBE, MZIE GOJO ,JOSEPH MONNATLALA, SINALO NTULI, THOMAS MOREMI ,VIRGINIA RHAMOVHA , VELAPHI MASONDO ,ERNOCK NDLOVU, PAULINE MAZIBUKO , MIGHTA  MAGKOTLA, VICTOR MOFOKENG  AND THABO MOLAPO. THE SHOW WAS SO SUCCESFUL AND IT ATRACTED INTENATI ONAL VIEWERS.

In 2015 the organization was also invited to exhibit at the JOBURG WASTE SUMMIT 2015 their recycling art to highlight greater possibilities in reprocessing waste.  The organization also pioneered an international exhibition for one of their members Victor Mofukeng in Austria’s Food exhibition 26 March 2015   
TOPUP INSIDE OUT group exhibition at University of Johannesburg Kingsway Campus it opened on 26 August – 23September to be mobile going to North West University to be opened on the 15 October 2015 -06 November 2015. This was published in various news papers like Sunday times, The Star, Pretoria News, SABC news and online GOOGLE NEWS 

July to August UBA members where invited to work on public project at Klipspruit (Pimville) about the origins of Soweto’s first entrepreneurs AMAWASHA, seven artists participated in this mosaic mural of 60 meters…

Lehlohonolo Mkhasibe was invited to participate on a fundraising event SEATS OF KNOWLEDGE to build a new library at University of Johannesburg He was requested to produce two chair designs to be auctioned 15 November 2015.  His chairs where made out off metal structure and recycled tires