Iphasi nesiphesheli

Mondli Mbhele

Mondli Mbhele is a Durban-based visual artist. He completed a one-year Visual Arts Programme at the BAT Centre and also attended the Velobala Weekend classes hosted by the Durban University of Technology. He was a member of the Amasosha Art Movement, a collective that promotes professionalism and solidarity amongst young and emerging Durban-based artists. In 2016, he was runnerup in the KZNSA Annual Members’ Award.

Iphasi nesiphesheli
Fabric collage on canvas
163 cm x 121 cm

Iphasi nesiphesheli is part of a series titled Umlando uyaziphinda, an isiZulu phrase meaning history repeats itself. This series of mixed-media works is inspired by various iconic events from South African history. In this specific artwork, the artist explores the dynamics of protests in contemporary South Africa. The brightly coloured collage is a snapshot of an ominous moment in a protest wherein a person is lying lifeless on the ground, yet no one seems alarmed. The artwork is a commentary on the current challenges faced by millions of young South Africans, who are forgotten and disregarded, with compromised futures.