John Muafangejo
Although he produced a number of tapestries and paintings while at Rorke’s Drift, Muafangejo is known almost entirely as a printmaker; his linocuts are also particularly well known. In this respect, Azaria Mbatha (qv.), who favoured the medium, influenced Muafangejo as did many other artists who studied at Rorke’s Drift. In addition, the relative inexpensiveness of the medium and the fact that it does not require sophisticated printing equipment made it an attractive and feasible option for many black printmakers. But, like many others, when Muafangejo had access to the necessary equipment and materials, he produced an impressive body of woodcuts and intaglio prints. In intaglio, he seldom used etching on its own, preferring to combine it with aquatint (for tonal areas) and he was particularly adept in the use of drypoint – where the image is scratched directly into the plate. The immediacy and vividness of drypoint proved a sympathetic medium for his images. Read More…
