Sandile Zulu

When I went to DC, I was most impressed by two artists; Sandile Zulu and Henrique Olivera. Incedentally, their work was actually in the same room in the African Art Museum. 
Sandile Zulu was born in South Africa and his work centers around humanity, to put it simply. the particular exhibit I saw mirrored our DNA, it was a look at what makes us us. It fascinated me, first how he worked, with fire, and second, how he displayed his work. He displayed his work in a series of panels, and to me that was like a story; over time, we are made up of a series of experiences, our race, our family, our traits, our values, our beliefs, they are all separate, but connected through something truly unique; us.

"As in the nature of every dialogue, the interchange of knowledge, experience and expression leads, at least from a critical point of view, to imaginaries of identity, privilege, power and economic status. These, in turn, bring about a confrontation with greater issues of creativity, art making and the social environment in a global context. But dialogue on a global stage is always a complex proposition. It is this tension and attention that inspired my dialogical premise."

"You see in my work details which have reference to histories of religion, to revolutionary politics, art making, psychological relationships. There are many forces within myself as an individual and as an artist in South Africa, external forces around me and international forces. I am aware that the question of self-identity is very much determined by one's cultural heritage."