Anathi Tyawa

Biography
“My name is Anathi Tyawa. I was born in Cape Town in 1986 and raised on the outskirts of the city in Khayelitsha. My interest in art had already started to show at the age of 7. I would spend my days drawing and painting figures of my surroundings in the township. In 2005 I visited the Frank Joubert Art Centre for the first time with my high school and was quickly recognized for my burgeoning talent. I was invited to attend classes after school and gladly accepted. I would work in the afternoons and at nights, rigorously painting and perfecting my art. With the help of my teachers I became familiar with a range of techniques and
styles; oil especially grabbed my interest and is still one of my favorite mediums for painting. Many of my creations took root at the Frank Joubert Art Centre and I would regularly take my work home with me and work through the night regardless of the limited space and resources at my disposal. During this time I created my own interpretation of The Last Supper wherein I depict world Political Leaders and dictators of the past
and present”.

HOW IT ALL BEGAN: MY JOURNEY
“WHEN I WAS YOUNGER I WOULD BE FASCINATED BY THE OLD MASTERS ART OF THE DUTCH I LOOKING AT THEIR PAINTINGS AT THEIR OLD PAINTINGS AT IZIKO MUSEUM THINKING TO MY SELF THAT ONE DAY I WILL PAINT LIKE THAT, THE INFLUENCE STARTED WHEN I NOTICE SOMETHING ABOUT MY ANCESTORS THAT THEY USED TO WEAR TRADITIONAL REGALIA THE SKIN OF LEOPARD WHICH INSPIRED ME TO PAINT THINGS THAT RELATE TO MY CULTURE THEIR DRESSING CODE I FELT I RELATE TO IT. INSPIRED BY MY AFRICAN ROOTS BEING CURIOUS ABOUT WANTING TO KNOW MORE WHY THEY WEAR THESE SKINS OF LION AND LEOPARD , I VISITED GERMANY IN 2015 A YOUNG MAN FROM THE TOWNSHIPS WITH A HOPE OF FEELING THAT MY DREAM OF MAKING CAREER THROUGH ART WILL COME TRUE.
THE FIRE THAT BURN IN OUR HEARTS WHICH GIVES US HOPE AND COURAGE IN ANY SITUATION THAT WE FACE IN LIFE OF TODAY ITS LIKE A CANDLE TARNISH UNTIL BURNS OUT THERE IS A LIGHT IN THE FUTURE HOPE THE STRUGGLE THAT WE FACE IN A PLACE WITHOUT OPPORTUNITIES A DARK PLACE WITH DARK PLACE WITH LIGHT LIKE THE CANDLE THAT GIVES US HOPE TO KEEP OUR DREAMS AWAKE , THE CANDLES INSPIRED ME WHEN I COME BACK FROM GERMANY IN THAT YEAR WHICH I STAYED TWO MONTHS AND THE IDEA OF THE CANDLE COME THEN.
MY ART WORKS ITS SURREALISM ART WHICH MOST OF IT I HAVE SYMBOLISM IMAGES OF THINGS THAT RELATE TO LIFE ENVIRONMENT CHARACTERISTICS OF MY SUBJECTS THAT I’M PAINTING ABOUT RELATE TO LIFE IT SELF, IN MOST OF MY WORK I LIKE PUTTING CANDLES BECAUSE ITS SOMETHING THAT HAS SMALL LIGHT, AS IT REPRESENT THE BURNING HOPE INSIDE PEOPLE THE SPIRIT THAT THEY HAVE ITS THE HOPE COURAGE BECAUSE THERE IS ALWAYS A LIGHT IN THE TUNNEL.
IN EVERYONE PEOPLE HAVE DREAMS IN LIFE HOPING THAT SOMETHING GOOD CAN CAME OUT THE LIGHT OF HOPE, ANIMALS THAT I USED IN MY ART WORK RELATE TO CHARACTERISTICS OF MY SUBJECT THAT I’M TALKING ABOUT , ITEMS OF THE BEHAVIOR AND THE WAYS IT REACTS.
• THE RESURRECTION OF THE WARRIORS
I CALL IT THE RESURRECTION OF THE WARRIORS BECAUSE THEIR SPIRITS ARE AROUND US, THE STRUGGLE THEY FOUGHT IN OLDEN DAYS IT STILL OCCURS IN THESE DAYS, THE STRUGGLE CONTINUE IN DIFFERENT MANNER WHICH OUR FOREFATHERS SPIRITS HAVE RESURRECTED THROUGH THE GENERATION OF TODAY TO IMAGE WITH THE BURNING HONOR OF STANDING FOR SOMETHING IMPORTANT OR TRUTHFULLY.
THE HYENA IS THERE BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN A RITUAL THAT IN THOSE DAYS THEY USED THE TAIL OF IT BEFORE GOING TO WAR WHEN ENGAGING AT WAR THEY BURN THE TAIL OF IT IN THE CAMPS OF OTHER SOLDIERS SO THAT THEY FALL ASLEEP. THIS USUALLY USED TO HAPPEN AT NIGHT TO INVADE OTHER CAMPS, IT WAS A TRADITIONAL TACTICS OR STRATEGIES.
THE WATCH ITS MORE OF A TIME MACHINE THAT TRAVEL IN TIME TO RESURRECT THE PAST OF THE
TIME, TRAVELLING IN THE TIME OF SPACE TO PRESENT TIME IN WHAT USED TO HAPPEN IN
THOSE TIME.
• THE FADING OF THE DREAM
THESE SOLDIERS REPRESENT WHAT THE OLD GENERATION KINGS USED TO STAND FOR THEIR
PEOPLE IN GROUND FOUGHT FOR THE FREEDOM WILLING TO DIE FOR IT FOUGHT FOR THE
REAL FREEDOM.
THE GUN AT THE SKY IT SHOWS DESTINY WHICH THEY WILL MEET A BULLET, THEY ONLY CARRY
SPEARS BUT THEY HAD COURAGE OF PUTTING THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE FOR THE FACT TO MAKE
A CHANGE, THIS IS A TRIBUTE OF KINGS SUCH AS KING BAMBATHA , HITSA AND DINGANI
ACT, WHICH WAR WERE FOUGHT LIKE THE BATTLE OF ISANDLWANE .
THE MAN WEARING THE SUIT WITH THESE SOLDIERS PRETEND AS IF THEY ARE A PART OF THE
STRUGGLE OF THEIR ANCESTORS WHO DIED FOR THE TRUE CAUSE OF FREEDOM. THE STATE
THAT HAS BEEN COLONIZED IN FORM OF FORGETTING WHAT THEIR FOREFATHERS STAND
FOR, THEY WANT TO CHANGE WHO THEY ARE TO ADOPT WESTERN CULTURE FORGETTING
THEIR ROOTS BEING RULED WITH THE DUTCH LAWS IN OUR CONSTITUTION.
E.G- WHEN YOU WANT TO KILL A FISH YOU TAKE IT OUT OF THE WATER ON ITS COMFORT ZONE, IF
IT LEAVE ON WATER IT CANT SURVIVE OR STAY AT THE LAND WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS
TO THE AFRICAN AS THEY HAD TO ADOPT A EUROPEAN CULTURE THAT MAKE THEM VULNERABLE
TO UNDERSTAND IT ENDING UP LOSING WHO THEY ARE NOT HAVING IDENTITY OF THEIR ROOTS.
THE LION WITH THE CANDLE ON ITS HEAD ITS MORE OF A SPIRIT OF THESE SOLDIERS WHO
MARCHED WITH THE KINGS TO FIGHT FOR THEIR LAND, AND THE TEAR OF BLOOD IN THE EYE OF
THE LION IS THE PAIN THAT THEY HAD, EVEN TODAY AND COURAGE HONOR BUT NOW WE FIND
PEOPLE WHICH MISLEAD AND FORGETTING THEIR ROOTS, BECAUSE THEY WANT TO ADOPT A
CULTURE THAT IT DON’T IDENTIFY US.
THESE KINGS STANDING FOR THE TRUE FREEDOM WHERE KILLED BY BULLETS, THE IMAGES THEY
DESCEND FROM SOUNDS VOLUMES ECHOING IN OUR HEARTS AS THEY BEAT BUT THE DREAM IS
SLOWLY DYING BECAUSE OF FORGETTING WHAT THEY STAND FOR, THAT IS WAY I CALL IT THE
FADING OF THE DREAM WHICH IS GOING TO FADE AWAY INTO A JOKE STATE BY CORRUPTION
BEHAVIOR.
THE SOUTH AFRICAN FLAG IS BEING SHOWED IN A FORM OF HOPE AS IT FLYING HIGHER BLOWING
THE WIND EMBRACING THE HOPE OF THE DREAM THAT SOUTH AFRICANS WORK TOGETHER IN
BUILDING THE NATION, ALTHOUGH SOUTH AFRICA IS BEING CHANGE IN A JOKE STATE OF
CORRUPTION.
ON THE OTHER SIDE YOU FIND THE OLD FLAG WHICH IT FEELS AS IF OUR COUNT APART OF
CURRENT LEADER FORGOT WHO DO THEY PRESENT AS THE DREAM IS FADING AWAY. THEY
CONTINUE ON EMBRACING THE DUTCH LAWS BUT FORGET TO STAND FOR THE TRUTH OF THEIR
COUNTRY.
THE RESURRECTION OF THE WARRIORS
MEDIUM OIL PAINTS WAS CREATED IN 2017-2019
THE FADING OF THE DREAM
MEDIUM OIL PAINTS WAS CREATED IN 2019