M.T. Mhlongo
Themba Mhlongo started modelling with clay as a young man, concentrating mainly on cattle and other animal shapes. These were made on an intimate scale. He later diversified his approach to sculpture by trying his hand at carving in wood. Mhlongo also did clay studies of the human figure in the form of small portrait busts, like this example of an unknown man (plate 77) in the Campbell Smith Collection. His work in clay was usually fired in the traditional way, using a pit-firing method with dried aloe leaves. Mhlongo is a man of strong religious beliefs and became an active Christian lay preacher. It is not surprising therefore to discover that he has also produced some religious pieces. These include variations on the theme of praying hands – a universally popular subject that traces its lineage back to the drawing dated 1504 by the 16th-century German artist Albrecht Dürer – and the Crucifixion. Read More…
