Dumisani Sibisi was born in Soweto, Johannesburg in 1962 and was of the Zulu Tribe, he passed away on the 31st of July 2020. He was educated in Soweto at Emaweni Lower Primary (1969 - 1972), Enkanyezini Higher Primary (1973 - 1975) and received his secondary education at Jabulani Technical High (1977 - 1083). He continues to live and work in Soweto . He was taught by sculptor Sydney Kumalo, as well as by Ezrom Legae. Exhibiting since the age of 15, Sibisi has included his work in shows in Australia, Portugal, Canada and the United States.

Dumisani Sibisi was an artist shaped by the hopeful atmosphere following the 1994 democratic elections in South Africa. His collages and three-dimensional images are chiefly of the townships, which Sibisi paints only to record a particular reality of this particular time.

Sibisi did not idealize, showing plainly the poverty and deprivation that millions of black Africans continue to struggle with. He collected the scraps, wastes and offcuts that litter township streets and incorporated them into his paintings, recycling discarded materials and giving them a new function. His streets are starkly empty but for a few monumental figures, burdened by the physical loads they are forced to carry as they walk for miles to their destination, or wait to catch a taxi. Township houses and backdrops are covered with ads for detergent and newspaper articles, while the roofs of shacks – as in reality – protrude with corrugated metal and well-dented motor vehicles. But despite the bleakness of such images there prevails a message of hope. A dove with an olive branch carries a potent message: let there finally be peace in this broken land.

Sbisi passed away on the 31st of July 2020

Education and Training:
1975:
Won award in Maize Board Art Competition; trained by Sydney Kumalo and Ezrom Legae
1977-1984:
Studied at Jabulani Technical School
1986-1988:
Taught arts and crafts part-time at Winnie Ngwekazi

First Solo Exhibition:
1994:
Creating Peace from the Pieces, Natalie Knight Gallery [Johannesburg]

Group Exhibitions:
1977
South African Association of Arts [Johannesburg]

1989
Contemporary Artists, Serendipity Gallery [Johannesburg]

1990
Contemporary Artists, Australia
Leading African Artists, Dom Pedro Marina [Portugal]
Group show during tour of 64 South African Black Business People [USA]
Arts and Crafts, Serendipity Gallery [Johannesburg]

1991
Contemporary Artists, Serendipity Gallery [Johannesburg]
Iketsetse Art Exposition, Ronald J. [Johannesburg]
Old and New Woodcarvings from West Africa to Venda and Artworks from Important Local Artists, Berman Gallery [Johannesburg]

1992
Art, Craft and Jazz for Africa, [Pretoria]

1993
Cultural Diversity, Natalie Knight Gallery [Johannesburg]
South African Art, World Trade Centre, Knight Galleries International [Toronto]

1994
Windows on the New South Africa, World Trade Centre, Knight Galleries International [Toronto]

1996
Tomorrow is Now, Knight Galleries International [Toronto, Vancouver]

1997
Images of Freedom [Arts and Events Gallery, Toronto] Opened by Mr. Patrick Evans South African Consul-General

2012
Siyakubona, group exhibition at The Cape Gallery

2014
Telling our story; group exhibition at The Cape Gallery