Talk to Me

A lithographic work titled, Talk to Me by the South African artist Nhlanhla Xaba (1960-2003). "I am pretty much done with this consultation for now," Xaba is quoted as he stepped back appraising this lithographic printing plate he had been working on for the past few days. Nhlanhla's way of working was as unusual in his creative use of language. He worked slowly and considered very carefully every mark he made. The content of the work is what mattered to him, the layers of meaning and significance that are embedded in a work. Making art is not something that came spontaneously or easily to him. He literally had to build a work, one brick at a time. Short Biography: Xaba was born in Payneville Springs in 1960 after completing high schoo and then enrolled at the Rorke’s Drift Art School in 1981. In 1986, he joined the African Institute of Art at the Funda Centre in Soweto, where he trained as an art teacher and taught both children and adults. Xaba joined the Artists Proof Studio in 1991, as a, art teacher. On 9 March 2003, Xaba was unfortunately killed in a fire that burned down the Artist Proof Studio in President Street, Newtown (Joahnnesburg). The artist was known to sleep occasionally at the art studio. At the time of his death, Xaba had been working on an exhibition due to open. All of his work for the exhibition, as well as all other artwork at the studio, were sadly destroyed in the fire. The cause of the fire remained unattributed.