Notes

Phillip Rikhotso’s unique personal vision is evident in his highly imaginative and humorous figurative sculptures that typically combine human and animal forms into a single image. Born in 1945 in Mamedwa near Tzaneen, Rikhotso is a self-taught artist who was mentored by his grandfather, a wood carver. Rikhotso began carving in the mid-1970s and favours soft woods such as quinine or marula. He applies a variety of media to the surface of his sculptures such as wax crayon and enamel paints, which he then covers with a gloss varnish. Rikhotso’s works can be viewed as syntheses of Tsonga myths and folkloric tales, such as those of witches and humans who metamorphosed into animal forms, as well as observations of the world around him.

In 2004 Rikhotso was the joint winner of the prestigious Brett Kebble Art Award.

While many of Rikhotso’s sculptures are human-animal hybrids, his less ambiguous human figures are often endowed with hyperbolic features, such as bulging eyes and pronounced teeth. In this sculpture of a kneeling man, the figure’s protruding front teeth and overly sized head add a delightful comic effect.

Provenance

Donated by Trent Read