BLESSING NGOBENI (PAR) | Portraiture of Life, 2013 | Oil on canvas, 80x50 (92x62)

Sign: BNgobeni 2013 (front lower right)

The work was exhibited at the exhibition "Contemporary African Art: Dreams and Realities of Identity" at the Vytautas Kasiulis Art Museum (2022 05 10 - 2022 10 09).

Reproduced in the catalog of the exhibition "Contemporary African Art: Dreams and Realities of Identity", 2022, p. 13.

The work of B. Ngobeni (b. 1985, South Africa) is inspired by surrealism, rebellious Dadaism, neo-expressionism, and minimalism. The artist critiques the political regime, hypocritical principles of democracy, social inequality, and abuse of power, which he has personally encountered many times. Since 2007, the artist has participated in exhibitions in Africa, the USA, and the United Kingdom. Recognition came in 2012 when he joined the MOMO Gallery in Johannesburg. In 2019, he participated in the Venice Biennale. Recently, he has been focusing on exploring different creative media and mentoring young artists. In 2017, the B. Ngobeni Art Award was established.