​Contemporary South African Art

The son of a reverend and school principal.  He was born at Acomhoek near the Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga in 1950.  He went to the Arthurseat Primary School where his father was the principal.  In 1963, the family with six children, three brothers and three sisters, moved to Johannesburg where his father was the editor of a religious publication.  Saoli attended the Morris Isaacson High School in Moroka, Soweto.

 

The family lived in the Mofolo church grounds and the Saoli boys all had bicycles.  Winston's father supported his artistic son and built hima shack in the back yard which was his first "studio",  His grandfather had done woodcarvind and Winston once said that he was therefore not surprised that he became an artist.  The first artist who recognized his art talent was Ngatane and he was also influenced by Legae, Har and Skotnes at the Jubilee Art Centre in Johannesburg.  In 1973/74, he took a diploma course in commercial art and later studied painting at the Bill Ainslee Studio.

 

In 1971, Soali was one of four artists to be chosen to make graphic art for the Graphic Club of South Africa, which sold good art to art lovers.  Saoli's silk-screen print, Two People Standing, became one of the most popular artworks of the Graphic Club.  In the same yearm he was asked to design the cover of the music album, Peace, by jazz pianist Dollar Brand, later known as Abdullah Ibrahim.

 

At 22, Saoli was already becoming well known as an artist, but then tragedy struck.  In 1972, Saoli was arrested for allegedly attending an ANC meeting at Wits University.  He was kept in the notorious John Vorster Square for nine months.  This experience had a lasting effect on Saoli, and his friends later said that he was never the same again afterwards.

 

The last 12 years of Saoli's life were difficult years as he lost his parents, his two brothers and his son.  Saoli sometimes still made very good works of art that were praised in the newspapers.  His paintings were also included in many important exhibitions abroad, such as the Art from South Africa exhibition in Germany in 1979 and the 1994 Commonwealth Games Art and Culture Festival in Cananda.

 

In 1992, Saoli joined artist Sibeko, who owned the Soweto Art Gallery.  He once again made very good works of art byt he died tragically in 1995.  His best paintings were made in mixed media on paper.  He have moved away from township art and painted in modern, half-abstract manner.  He depicted the loneliness of the day-to-day struggle of man.

 

Ref:  Walking Tall, Without Fear - 24 South African Artists from the Struggle Era by Ifa Lethu & Dirkie Offringa

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

Born: 1950 Acornhoek, Eastern Transvaal

A painter, graphic artist and sculptor of figures and animals.  Works in watercolour, ink, chalk, mixed media, various graphic media and in stone. 

Studies: Jubilee Centre, Johannesburg, under Bill Hart and Ezrom Legae.

Exhibitions: He has participated in group exhibitions from the late 1960s in SA, the UK and West Germany; 1969 Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, first of several solo exhibitions; 1971 Building Design Centre, Preston, UK, joint exhibition with Leonard Matsoso and Cyprian Shilakoe; 1979 Contemporary African Art in SA, touring; 1981 Standard Bank, Soweto, Black Art Today Exhibition  

Represented: Johannesburg Art Gallery; University of Fort Hare; University of South Africa; William Humphreys Art Gallery, Kimberley.

References: AASA; Echoes of African Art; Artlook May 1969, June 1970 & January 1971; SA Panorama July 1982