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| ART
& CRAFTS GALLERY | | | |
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| Born
in 1964 at Gwamasenga, Venda, Owen Ndou now lives in Hamutsha. |
| Owen's
love of sculpting started at a very young age, however it was after school, in
1984, that he started carving full time. |
| For many years Owen
and his brother Goldwin worked together on pieces. |
| Owen deeply explores
the significance of biblical themes throughout his work. |
| Other
works deal with documenting history and everyday life, especially traditional
life. | |
The colours that he paints his works in are of symbolic meaning to his work. |
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| Owen
Ndou's
works
are housed in the following collections: |  | University
of the Free State | |
University of Natal | |
University of South Africa, Pretoria | | Johannesburg
Art Gallery, Johannesburg | | National
Gallery, Cape Town | |
Sandton Convention Centre | | Rotterdam,
Holland | |
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 | OWEN
NDOU (by Stephanie Donau) |
| The first
time I met Owen Ndou was at an artists meeting, when Neill van Kraayenburg re-opened
Ditike, (The Venda art and craft outlet) as a private venture. |
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Previously, it had been managed by the V.D.C. (Venda Development Corporation)
and others who had looked after their own interests and not necessarily those
of the artists. | |
It was understandable that there was confusion and uncertainty among those that
has assembled in the circle under the trees. |
| Opinions
were spoken and voices raised………then a very eloquent gentleman stood up and started
addressing the assembly. |
Everybody
was quiet and listened.
Afterwards, the tension was defused and the talks
continued. | | The
gentleman who got up and spoke was Owen Ndou. | |
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| I subsequently
met Owen Ndou through seeing his sculptures and through a friendship forged on
the common ground of being artists. |  |
| He
is a man of great mental stature ("Ndou" means elephant), and even though Owen
is not tall, one looks up to him. |
| He produces
his art with great accuracy, and this confidence is manifest in his works. |
| He
is passionate about art and about being an artist: |
| "To be an
artist is to be a much respected person". |
| Owen views
religion in a spiritual way. |
| He doesn't
deny any other religion, but views his affiliation to the Bible as an interpreter
of metaphors and messages. |
| One learns
about cultural protocol, ways of greeting and specific traditional implements
(such as the jsuri or stamping block and mortar) that were used in days of old.
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this way, Owen views his responsibility as an artist as a communicator to peoples
spiritual nature; through addressing fundamental human principles by exploring
themes dealing with religion, culture and mythology. |
| Click
Here | |
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Mukondeni
arts and crafts has been instrumental in the establishment of the following:
The Mashamba Art Gallery
Self Help projects
An Artist and a Cultural village. |
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