Zwelethu Mthethwa
Painter and photographer
Zwelethu Mthethwa is a South African painter and photographer (Durban, 1960), represented by Brundyn + Gonsalves in Cape Town, by Everard Read in Johannesburg, and by the Jack Shainman Gallery in New York. In 1985, Mthethwa finished his studies in Fine Arts at the Michaelis School of Fine Art at the University of Cape Town. He received a Fullbright Scholarshipthat allowed him to study a master’s degree in Imaging Arts at the Rochester Institut eof Technology in 1989. In 1994 he began working as a professor of photography and drawing at the Michaelis School. He left the post in 1999 to devote himself full-time to his art. Since 2000, however, he is a Research Associate at Michaelis School.
Zwelethu Mthethwa is best known for his large-format color photographs, but also works in paint and pastel. His portraits of men and women in their domestic or work environments are known for containing a strong psychological charge. His work is in several collections such as the Guggenheim Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art of Castilla Leon, Nasher Museum of Art, the Pompidou Centre and the Victoria & Albert Museum, among many others. Mthethwa has had solo exhibitions in galleries around the world and has participated in the 2005 Venice Biennale and the 2004 Gwangju Biennale. He currently lives and works in Cape Town.
Update: 7 July 2015