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Art Becomes Her
Forbes Woman Africa
|August-September 2017
A celebrated international fine artist, Mmakgabo Helen Sebidi overcame the struggles of apartheid, and her work is grounded in her past.
THIS WOMEN’S MONTH, I would like to salute one of our heroes.
A recipient of the Order of Ikhamanga in Silver conferred by the President of the Republic of South Africa, Mmakgabo Helen Sebidi is one of the country’s most influential and respected artists.
Born near Hammanskraal, in the former Northern Transvaal, this septuagenarian has expressed her craft with consummate skill to produce detailed, complex, iconic contemporary art – mainly oil canvases and sculptures – that any collector would want to reward themselves with; rewards that are beautiful pieces with layers of meaning and of substantial financial worth and value.
What do these works mean?
A few examples of her creations give us a clue as to why her work is so complex. She tells various stories of pain, suffering, love and excitement.
She says that when she worked for a lady who was an artist, the lady’s paintings reminded her that she too was an artist.
This story is from the August-September 2017 edition of Forbes Woman Africa.
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