Andrew Tshidiso MOTJUOADI (1935 – 1968)
ZCC Priest And Congregation Mamelodi Township, Pretoria, July 1965
1965
oil and ink on masonite
33 x 63 cm
This stirring and spirited work by Tshediso Andrew Motjuoadi delivers its emotional impact through a combination of scale, detail and splendid colour. In ZCC Priests and Congregation, Mamelodi Township, Pretoria (1965), a roiling… Continue Reading
BIOGRAPHY
Born in the Northern Transvaal (now Limpopo Province), Andrew Tshidiso Motjuoadi later lived and worked in Mamelodi, Pretoria. He studied in Durban and at the University of the North in the early 1960s.
In 1963, he held his first solo exhibition in Johannesburg. Motjuoadi is known for his highly detailed stippled pencil drawings of township life.
In 1964, he was commissioned by American filmmaker Cornel Wilde to paint the background to the credits for the film The Naked Prey.
In 1966, Motjuoadi was awarded a prize in the Artists of Fame and Promise exhibition in Johannesburg. He suffered a stroke 1967 and he died the following year, after being paralysed for nearly a year.
Motjuoadi’s surviving body of work was handed over to art historian Esmé Berman for safe keeping.
The track ‘Tribute to Motjoadi’ appears on the record Down Lucky’s Way with Malombo Jazz Makers, released by Gallo in 1969. This track is musician Lucky Ranku’s tribute to his artist friend.
In 1971, a memorial retrospective of Motjuoadi’s work was held at the South African Association of Arts Gallery in Johannesburg.
In 1988, his work was included in the seminal Neglected Tradition exhibition, curated by Ricky Burnett, at Johannesburg Art Gallery. His Head of a Child appeared on the poster of the exhibition.
In 1990, his work was included in Looking at Our Own: Africa, an exhibition at the Pretoria Art Museum.
Motjuoadi’s work was also included in the exhibition Paintings: Methven to Mashile at Warren Siebrits Modern and Contemporary in Johannesburg in 2006.