Cyprian Mpho Shilakoe
Cyprian Shilakoe, unlike most of the first group of artists at Rorke’s Drift who preferred working in linocut, concentrated on producing etchings that were often combined with aquatint. He was closely associated with Dan Rakgoathe (qv.) and, like him, his work has a profound visionary quality. The atmospheric, dream-like effect in Loneliness (plate 201), an etching and aquatint dated 1971, is typical of Shilakoe’s work. This typical effect is achieved by Shilakoe’s masterly use of aquatint. Instead of using it in large, tonal areas, he preferred to apply the aquatint selectively, resulting in the rich, lustrous quality of his prints. Read More…
