Maleka, a Northern Sotho by descent,
died tragically in a car accident at the age of 44 at the end of 2005.
Maleka attended school in Soweto in Johannesburg in the 1970's and studied
at the African Art School in Witbank. In 1976 at the age of 15, he was
one of the 20 000 children who took part in the protest march against
a Bantu Education Department regulation that Afrikaans be used as one
of the languages of instruction in secondary schools. In the same year
Maleka left South Africa as a political refugee. Maleka went to Kenya,
where he finished his A levels and in 1979, aged 18, he went to France
where he studied Social Science and Psychology.
In Paris, Maleka was made aware of older South African artists that had
settled in Paris, people like Ernst Mancoba who died 2002, and Gerard
Sekoto before he died in Paris in 1993. Maleka was still a young man and
the advice of older South African artists such as Mancoba helped broaden
his understanding of art. In a interview I had with Maleka in 2005 before
the Encompass exhibition at The Cape Gallery, Maleka said of these older
artists:
“They were my elders, it was a blessing
for me to come into contact with these artists. They encouraged me to
carry on with my studies.”
I was overjoyed to get an email from Veronica Maleka, Charle’s
German ex-wife just before the exhibition opened. She explained how she
met him in Aachen Germany and they were married in 1989. Veronica says
of Maleka:
“Charles always painted to the
sound of music. According to his mood he mostly listened to classical
music or jazz. Being asked about the colours in his paintings because
his paintings are very colourful all the time, he always spoke about the
"colours of life" and that "colours are people, sentiments
and music". He wanted the people to understand each other and correspond
in a harmonious way like the colours in a painting or the notes/sounds
in a piece of music do. Charles was always in search of new ways of expressing
himself. That can be seen in the developing use of material and colours
in his paintings as well as his different projects as a musician and a
band leader.”
Maleka divides his work into two different styles. His black and white
style which is done in charcoal and a colourful style that developed later.
In the black and white style Maleka tended to be more structured and figurative.
He reflects that his early politized work was "partly angry and partly
sad". Later a new colourful style emerged, in this he used spontaneous
free brush strokes done in bright aquarelle on paper. In this style Maleka
leaves behind the one point perspective of his representational art and
makes use of many view points through his abstraction. In the interview
I had with Maleka he said he purposefully did not mix one colour into
another. Together the pure colours harmonise, they interact and affect
each other. Maleka said in the interview I had with him “I
let my brush free to the music. I let it dance and respond to the instruments.”
Veronica also tells us Maleka was a remarkable painter, a lyrical poet
and a dignified percussionist. The then ambassador of the South African
in Bonn, Mrs. Lindiwe Mabuza, became a great admirer of his art. She opened
one of his last exhibitions here in Aachen. Veronica also mentions their
daughter, who went to Barcelona with her school this summer, confirmed
that Charles`s name is mentioned on a memory board in the Picasso museum
as a member of a group exhibition in 1984.
Even though Maleka has died we can still get to know the man through
the art he has left behind. Maleka’ artwork does not have to be
understood on a literal level. The viewer must simply allow the harmony
of colour and form to resonate and talk to them.
compiled by: Kitty Dörje
Bibliography for abouve insert:
Interview conducted with Charles Maleka in 2005.
Email received from Veronica Maleka on Fri 05/01/2007 21:16
Miles,E.1997.A story of early black artists.South Africa, Human Rousseau.
Ernst Mancobe at Home 2006, video recording, Tómas productions,
South Africa. Produced and directed by Bridget Thompson.
Other studies
Studied at the Academy of Art, Marstricht, Netherlands qualifying
with a Diploma in Fine Arts.
Further studies at the Kultur Academy; Berlin, Germany obtaining
a Diploma in Art History and Cultural Management
Master Student of Professor Johannes von Hoffen.
Private lessons with Professor Pitika Ntuli
Studied Aquarelle under Henrik Neus
Studied sculpture with Dr Thomas Sous
Installation and Art concept mentored by Joseph Bouys: working with
artists like Malatana (Mocambique), Twin Seven-Seven (Nigeria), Carlos
da Silva (Cuba), Hans Werner Barets (Germany).
Engaged in Mural Painting in Kyoto (Japan), Witbank (RSA), Soweto
(Johanesburg RSA), Berlin. Germany.
EXHIBITIONS
2014
Talking about Cape Town, group exhibition at The Cape Gallery
2012
Siyakubona, group exhibition at The Cape Gallery
2011
Continuum, annual Winter Solstice exhibition at The Cape Gallery
2002
Civic Centre, Witbank RSA
2001
Manzana Gallery, Bathplass RSA
2000
Unisa Art Gallery, Pretoria RSA
1999
Art House Damtor, Hamburg
Museum of Contemporary Art, New York City USA
Ludwig Forum Aachen, Germany
1998
Gallery Elizabeth, Essen Germany
City Bank, Siegen Germany
Jackobihof Gallery, Aachen Germany
Gallery no name, Amsterdam Holland
Landes Garte Schau, Lütich Germany
Gallery Vitoro Alfieri, Rome Italy
Uhles Gallery, Weissweile, Germany
Gallery Kasugi, Hyogo Japan
Modern Art Gallery, Tokyo Japan
Gallery Benatz, Köln, Germany
1997
Museum of Ethnology Frankfurt, Germany
Africa Museum: Neijmeigen, Holland
Gallery X: Berlin, Germany
Dresdener Bank Lübeck, Germany
Academy of Art: Dusseldorf, Germany
Embassy RSA: Bonn, Germany
1996
Atelier-Haus: Aachen, Germany
Rathaus: Bonn, Germany
Rathaus; Steinfurt, Germany
Galerie Eupen: Eupen, Belgium
1995
Atelier-Haus: Aachen, Germany
Uni Klinikum: Aachen, Germany
1994
Mesumer Landshaus: Rhine, Germany
Cafe Opera Gallery: Aachen, Germany
1993
Cafe Opera Gallery: Aachen, Germany
City Bank: Monschau, Germany
1992
International Film Festival: Brussels, Belgium
D.O.N.G. F.U.L.B.
Burgerhaus: Altenberge, Germany
1991
Heiliger Optic Gallery: Aachen, Germany
1990
B.W.A. State Gallery, Koszalin, Poland
1989
Gallery Magdalena Smolinki: Aachen, Germany
1988
Gallery Art & Music: Hertzogerath, Germany
Parplex Gallery, Würselen, Germany
1987
Africa Gallery: Aachen, Germany
Frankenberger Gallery: Aachen, Germany
K.J.Z. Gallery: Ochtrup, Germany
1986
Gallery Malmo: Malmo, Sweden
Bad Neuheimer Gallery: Bad Neuheimer, Germany
1985
Kulturhuset: Stockholm: Sweden
Neue Gallery: Frankfurt, Germany
1984
Picasso Museum: Barcelona, Spain
Stadt Café: Frankfurt, Germany
Neue Gallery: Frankfurt, Germany
1983
Africa Gallery: Paris, France
Gallery Blue: Dusseldorf, Germany
Symposium
1984
Oil Painting: Kopenhagen Denmark
Sculpture: Munich Germany
1985
Sculpture Paris: France
1990
Aquarrel: Dornbush Netherlands
1996
Aqua/Sculpture Wernigeröde,Germany
Sculpture, Milano Italy
1997
Poetry: Ochtrup, Germany
1998
Aquarrel: Amsterdam.
Collectors
Fred Olsen Shipping
Bibliography
Miles,E.1997.A story of early black artists.South Africa, Human
Rousseau.
Ernst Mancobe at Home 2006, video recording, Tómas productions,
South Africa. Produced and directed by Bridget Thompson. |