Footsteps 2013

Solo Exhibition - Absa Gallery Johannesburg

September 2013

Collen Maswanganyi’s first solo exhibition, Footsteps at the Absa Art Gallery looks at people who have decided to follow in their parents’ footsteps – whether they have succeeded or failed. The exhibition is a very personal and reflects on himself as an artist, who decided to follow in his father’s footsteps,well-known sculptor Johannes Maswanganyi. Collen’s father was taught by his uncle Piet Maswanganyi who used to carve mostly functional objects like wooden plates and forks.

Johannes Maswanganyi always liked the idea of having one of his children follow in his footsteps. He treated his art as some kind of chieftaincy where the first born son becomes the chief when the chief dies. So he was very happy to see Collen follow in his footsteps.

The exhibition also looks at other people who have decided to follow on their parents footsteps and who have succeeded or failed. It looks at personalities in sport, politics, art, tradition, religion etc. The question asked, do they have what it takes to be in the positions they find themselves. Do I (Collen Maswanganyi) have what it take to be a great artist?