Mbongeni Buthelezi showcased his stunning artworks at the Melrose Gallery in June, his pieces were aimed at the ‘Sugar Tax’ and relationships with plastic.
Mbongeni Buthelezi explored the relationship South African’s have with plastic and sugar tax. There are prominent brands and their logo’s throughout his works of art as well as waste plastic.
Sugar and plastic can cause serious damage if not monitored and used in moderation. As with anything it should be balanced and used in a healthy way.
In his latest exhibition Sugar Tax, the logos and branding of well-known and popular soft drink brands are a unifying theme throughout. Members of the artists’ community are portrayed, going about everyday life, shadowed by these brands that the modern world has become so accustomed to. It is difficult to imagine our lives without these brands – without sugar, and with no plastic. – Art Times
Before his exhibition, Mbongeni was in Saudi Arabia where he received an award from the prestigious King Abdullah University of Science in Technology for being a ‘pioneer in his medium’.
When asked about his works and the use of waste plastic he said,
“I find it interesting that something of no value, with the right care and attention can be used to create artworks of such beauty that they have considerable value to art collectors” – Mbongeni Buthelezi
Mbongeni makes use of watercolours and a heating gun to place his plastic within his artworks, giving them an oil painting look. He moved away from traditional mediums in the 90’s and began to focus on the use of plastic. Each art piece can contain over 5000 pieces of plastic.
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