JAN TSHIKHUTHULA

b. 1983, Tzaneen, South Africa

Tshikhuthula’s work is characterised by a sophisticated and elegant sense of design allied with an impeccable technique and superb drawing skills.

Jan Tshikhuthula was born in Tzaneen, South Africa in 1983 and he received his original fine art education in Venda. He then travelled to Jozi. In 2005 he studied at the Matongoni Art Academy under the mentorship of Avhashoni Mainganye, who encouraged him to specialize in printmaking at the Artist Proof Studio. He then moved to Johannesburg where he obtained his Professional Printmaking Certificate from Artist Proof Studio in 2010. In recent years he has included charcoal and soft pastel landscapes that capture where he's come from and where he's going to.

His grandfather Jan worked on industrial water systems, so his landscapes invariably feature windmills, along with unusually gritty water machinery and equipment, which contrast strikingly with the sweeping colours and moods of the Venda region.

Tshikhuthula has participated in a number of group shows with various Artist Proof Studio artists and continues to run a range of printmaking workshops with the Special Projects Outreach department at Artist Proof Studio.

"The landscape of my heart is changing," he says. "The longer I spend in the city the more new metaphors and images come up. I'm still working on gathering history, using windmills and water pumps as a metaphor. Windmills are old things, but they pump up a lot of value. I am still on this idea, but it's growing. Life is moving into new forms and shapes. So am I." – Jan Tshikhuthula