MARTIN QGIBINSIZI TOSE (1958 – 2004)
The Messenger
year unknown
mixed media on found wood
68 x 49 cm
BIOGRAPHY
Martin Qgibinsizi Tose was born in Germiston, during the first decade of apartheid.
He established himself as a sculptor, graphic artist and painter during his late teens.
Tose attended part-time art classes at the Open School in Braamfontein, Johannesburg under the guidance of Nathaniel Mokgosi between 1975 and 1977. The Open School was opened in 1974 to equip high school learners with foundational skills in fine art and music. He spent the next three years at Katlehong Art Centre, studying under Thato Mamabolo who had trained at Ndaleni Teacher’s Training College in KwaZulu Natal.
Tose’s subject matter ranges from landscapes, wild life and figure studies in oil, to sculpture in wood, bronze and mixed media. His approach tends towards abstraction, with his titles, such as ‘Orange Moon’, ‘Entering Jerusalem’ and ‘Moving Day’, and his use of colour revealing his reflections on issues of spirituality and mythology.
In Moving Day, he depicted the temporariness of life in the townships, where families were often evicted from their houses or forced to carry their household goods from one backroom dwelling to another.
Tose participated in various group exhibitions until his untimely death from kidney complications in the Ekurhuleni township of Katlehong, southeast of Johannesburg, at the age of 46. His work forms part of the collections of major banks, universities and national galleries.