BY PHUMZILE NDLOVU
MBABANE– Your gift will make room for you!
Local artist Mphendvulo Daniel Dlamini from Lundzi under Mhlambanyatsi Inkhundla had the privilege of rubbing shoulders and gifting Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma a portrait he made for her on Friday at the Happy Valley Hotel.
This was during the African Women’s Peace and Development Foundation (AWPDF), which hosted a corporate breakfast and fundraising to celebrate ten years of its existence, having been established in 2013.
She was the guest speaker as the first woman to be elected as the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (October 2012–January 2017).
When reached for comment, Dlamini shared with this publication that Dr. Nkosazana Zuma loved his work. He said, “She loved it a lot and she hugged me, taking my contact details in the process. She was gifted by the organisation, and to me and the organisation, we have an arrangement of which is a non-profit organisation.”
He went on to say, “I saw it fitting to be part of my marketing expenses. I’m happy about it to be part of the contributors to the great initiative by the AWPDF in the country,” shared Dlamini.
Dlamini learnt how to draw from his dad and he stated that art runs in his family. He, however, is the only one who took art professionally and made a career out of it with the guidance of his cousin, the former Minister of Housing and Urban Development Phiwayinkosi Mabuza, who mentored him into a business-conscious person.
His love for art was inspired by some nice things out there. Late last year, he had a solo exhibition at the Alliance Française de Mbabane, which he described as his second-best experience in his career.
He draws inspiration from free-spirited artists like Majaha. Jeffrey Mabuza, Mbongeni Fakudze, Aushie Matsebula, and my favourite artists are Blessings Ngobeni from South Africa, Shozo Shimamoto from Japan, Wangechi Mutual, a Kenyan-American, Sterling Ruby, and Frank Stella from the USA, but my favourite is none other than the Frenchman Claude Monet.
He has painted quite a number of high-profile politicians, including the Majesties, presidents, and members of the corporate world.
