Notes

From a young age, Meshack 'Shakes' Tembani loved art and started exploring different avenues of expression in a variety of mediums such as painting and mosaic. With a distinctive and stylised technique, he invites viewers to contemplate the beautiful in the seemingly ordinary by using bold and flat colours. Inspired by the everyday experiences faced by his community Tembani depicts these, often concentrating on strong female figures in his neighbourhood. Tembani grew up in New Crossroads, Cape Town, where he still lives and works. In 1998 he completed a Certificate in Visual Arts with the Community Arts Project (CAP). This was followed by a Certificate in screen printing, paper-mache, fabric painting and craft at Ruth Prowse College of Art and Design (1999). He then completed a Diploma in Adult Education at the University of Cape Town. (2003) and a Product Design & Development course at Madesa (2000). Tembani was a resident artist at the Castle of Good Hope Art Studios for a few years. He has had several solo exhibitions and has participated in multiple group exhibitions both locally and abroad. Tembani's work has been commissioned by companies and institutions and appears in several collections globally.

At Nando’s, we believe that creativity can change lives, which is why we invest in Southern African art and have been doing so since 2001. We know PERi-PERi chicken, and we’ve partnered with Spier Arts Trust because they know art. One of the art initiatives that Spier Arts Trust runs is Creative Block – colourful, contrasting and ever-evolving. The artworks created in this programme are known as Creative Blocks and many are available for sale to the public, presenting an affordable way to begin investing in contemporary Southern African art. Spier Arts Trust selects artists to join the programme. They are invited to interpret blocks of specific sizes in any way they choose, promoting fresh creative exploration among even the most established styles. Artists can use any medium and focus on any subject. Artists submit their artworks at regular intervals to Spier Arts Trust for feedback. The best blocks are curated and purchased. Some of these become part of the Nando’s collection.

Every Block is unique and signed by the artist. While each Creative Block is an artwork on its own, we love seeing the impact when we display many blocks together in our restaurants, creating a larger group work of art. As Spier Arts Trust calls it, “a rich and striking expression of South African art”. There are wonderful examples of Creative Block installations at Nando’s Westfield Stratford and Nando’s Birm Broad Street in the UK. In South Africa, some of our faves include Nando’s Central Kitchen in Gauteng, Nando’s Florida Road in KwaZulu-Natal, and Nando’s Mthatha in the Eastern Cape. Some of the artists who take part in Creative Block go on to join Nando’s artist development programmes, such as Nando’s Creative Exchange. “I feel that the Creative Block is a trustworthy, flexible vehicle for elemental artists yearning for self-expression, participation and mutual aid”, says Ricky Dyaloyi, who first became involved with Nando’s through the programme and has since also taken part in the Nando’s Artists Society and Chicken Run programmes (other programmes within the Nando’s Art Initiative). Today, Ricky is represented by Everard Read in South Africa and in London.