NKOALI NAWA (1965 – )

B-Tech Fine Art, Free State Technikon, 2001
Residences include the Bag Factory, Thupelo International and Greatmore Studios
Solo exhibition at the Oliewenhuis Art Museum, Bloemfontein, 2000
Solo exhibition at the Association for Visual Arts (AVA), Cape Town, 2003

Initially a mineworker, Nawa is understandably passionate about the daily struggles that face impoverished South Africans. He depicts the harsh existence that mineworkers have to adapt to, as well as the plights of rural women whose husbands have relocated to the urban areas in search of work. Nawa depicts the daily tasks and responsibilities that fill the lives of these individuals. Their daily tasks become almost sacred rituals. Everyday scenes are represented in a personal, intimate manner – revealing the artist’s deep understanding of the challenges facing these communities.