Michael Gagashe Zondi

Michael Zondi was born on 10 March 1926 in Msinga in Greytown, Natal. Zondi spent his childhood at a Swedish Lutheran mission station at Mtulwa, Natal. He attended school in Dundee, Natal and was later trained in woodwork by Mr Magni at the Swedish Lutheran mission trade school. At the age of twenty-five while an instructor at the Edendale Vocational Training School (possibly the Dundee industrial school) in Natal he began sculpting. After 1949 Zondi was a woodwork instructor at the Swedish Lutheran mission trade school. During the late 1950s he received instruction in Fine Arts at the UN, Pietermaritzburg.

He obtained certificates in building construction and design and worked at the Appelsbosch mission hospital in Natal, executing the design, construction and decoration for the hospital chapel. After leaving the hospital he served with the Department of Information until 1972. In 1992 and 2008 Zondi suffered strokes that left him paralysed and unable to work. He passed away on 15 March 2008.

Curriculum Vitae

Exhibitions

1961

(Republic Day exhibition ”” group).

1962

DAM (Black Artists).

1963

Venice, Italy (Biennale).

(Republic Festival).

DAM (Art SA Today).

1965

DAM (solo).

DAM (Art SA Today).

1966

Venice, Italy (Biennale).

Pretoria (Republic Festival Exhibition).

1974

UNISA (solo),

1975

Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgiun (Zulu Art).

Nedbank Gallery, Johannesburg (two-person exhibition with David Koloane).

1976

France (group).

1977

National Gallery of Rhodesia, Salisbury(SAArt).

1978

Residence of the French Ambassador (Roots of Heritage An exhibition of contemporary African Art).

1981

Jabulani Standard Bank, Soweto (Black Art Today).

Awards

1961

Republic Day Exhibition (bronze medal).

1963

Art SA Today (award).

1965

Art SA Today (Philip Frame award).