Artist Bongi Dhlomo with US Ambassador to South African Reuben E Brigety II. Picture: Jacques Naude African News Agency (ANA)
Pretoria - History is being made at the prestigious The Hill House – the iconic official residence of the US ambassador to South Africa – with seven artworks from South African artists on display.
The Javett Art Centre at the University of Pretoria has agreed to loan the works of art from their Bongi Dhlomo Collection to the US Mission in South Africa. The art has been installed in the Chief of Mission residence and it celebrates the recognition of artists who have not received the spotlight they deserve because of apartheid and its legacy.
The works of art – which include two sculptures – promote the creative expression of the various artists as they reflect South African history and culture.
The artwork on display includes five works that the well-known Bongi Dhlomo has curated for the Javett family over the years.
US Ambassador to South Africa, Reuben E Brigety II, introduced the collection to be housed at his residence in the coming months to guests and members of the art world on Wednesday night. The artworks were installed with precision this week by officials of the Javett Art Centre at one of the state rooms in The Hill House.
Brigety said art was very dear to himself and his wife, Leelie Selassie. The works on loan from the Javett Art Centre have rightfully found a temporary home among some of the African artworks collected by the ambassador and his wife over time.
Brigety is no stranger to art, as his great-grandfather was a renowned self-taught artist, who mainly did folk sculptures. Brigety joked that his great-grandfather’s talent completely skipped him.
“ I can't even draw a straight line; however, I have always appreciated art, and more so the older I got.”
He referred to the immense power of art and what it did to convey the human condition.
“It brings people together and inspires us. It is in this spirit that we are delighted to have our very first “Arts in Embassy” display,” he said.
The US government has a programme called “Arts in Embassies”, where chief of mission residences around the world are used to display various artistic themes. These are largely left to the discretion of the ambassadors.
“My wife and I wanted to have a display which combines our personal collection of African artwork alongside those of South African artists. This is a means of demonstrating not only our respect and regard for the South African story, but also to showcase the deep connections between South Africa and the US.”
The ambassador said displaying these artworks at his official residence showcased another milestone in the rich history of The Hill House, which had been home to ambassadors to South Africa since 1948.
“When I first arrived in South Africa last August, I wanted to build on and expand on the connections between South Africa and the US. One of the ways I thought I could do that directly was bringing to our home artworks by South African artists who have not always received the recognition that they deserved, because of the legacy of apartheid.”
The ambassador said he wanted to showcase these artists to a wider audience.
“I am proud of this project to celebrate these works of art,” he said.
Brigety thanked Javett CEO Lekgetho Makola, and UP vice-chancellor Tawana Kupe for this opportunity and expressed that this was the start of much more art being displayed at his residence.
He especially hailed Bongi Dhlomo, who over the past few years has gone
to great lengths to bring together this special project that forms part of the Javett art collection comprising the works of numerous outstanding black artists.
As the bulk of these artworks were not easily found, Dhlomo had to search widely, including at auctions, and she even went to the homes of artists in her bid to find these treasures.
The entire collection, of which these seven are a part, is housed at the Javett Art Centre.
Pretoria News