Rush Hour at Night

A pioneer black artist in apartheid South Africa, David Koloane has also been a tireless promoter of that country’s creative black talent. In 1991 he co-founded the Fordburg Artist’s Studio, the first such collective space in South Africa, which sought to overcome the isolation experienced by artists, particularly those from the townships. More recently he has written on issues relating to black South African art and the racism of the South African art world. Koloane has also curated exhibitions, including the South African element of ‘Seven Stories About Art in Africa’, presented at the Whitechapel Gallery, London, in 1995.

Koloane’s artwork reflects the chaos and claustrophobia of the urban landscape. ‘Jo-burg at Night’ reveals the night-time city choked with traffic. The gleam from car headlights and windows cuts through a murky smog which engulfs the scene. Shadowy figures scurry across in front of the cars. The overriding impression is of a city bearing down on its inhabitants who are forced to exist in the confined spaces left to them.