Notes

Smith, Kathryn (ed.). (2006) Sam Nhlengethwa, Johannesburg: Goodman Gallery Editions. Frontis page signed, dated 2012 and numbered ed 88/100 by the artist.

Sam Nhlengethwa was born in Springs, South Africa in 1955 and continues to live and work in Johannesburg. Nhlengthwa attended the Johannesburg Art Foundation, where he studied with Bill Ainslie, and later went to Rorke’s Drift Art and Craft Centre. He went on to work at the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) as a set designer, but pursued making art in his own time.
His work is largely figurative and he explores themes that are close to his heart such as the plight of mineworkers, jazz and the physical space of contemporary Africa. In his prints and paintings Nhlengethwa uses multiple mediums such as collage painting, drawing and photography, often layering one on top of another. His fine sense of colour and form lend a vibrant abstract quality to his work.