Judus Mahlangu
Mahlangu’s inventiveness as a printmaker has been commented on by Philippa Hobbs and Elizabeth Rankin in their joint publications on South African Printmaking in 1997 and 2003,1 and he received special mention from the American art critic Clement Greenberg when he visited South Africa in 1975. A student at Rorke’s Drift with the late Thami Mnyele and Paul Sibisi (qv.), Mahlangu was initially inspired by the late Cyprian Shilakoe’s (qv.) pioneering etching initiatives. He was also exposed to printmakers Vuminkosi Zulu (qv.) with whom he later shared his graphic studio, and Eric Mbatha (qv.), John Muafangejo (qv.), and Hugh Nolutshungu, all of whom were resident artists at Rorke’s Drift when Mahlangu was a student. In 1980 Mahlangu was invited to be a guest lecturer at the Natal Technikon, and in 1982 he was employed as a graphic artist by the SABC. Read More…
