Lionel Davis is one of Cape Town’s most loved artists and political activists. At the age of 40 he began studying art. At the age of 81 his retrospective exhibition at the Iziko South African National Gallery is set to be one of the highlights of the arts calendar.
book
Lionel Davis was born in District Six in 1936, spent seven years imprisoned on Robben Island for political activities, and five years under house arrest in Manenberg, where his family was forcibly relocated. In 1977, shortly after his release, he discovered the Community Arts Project (CAP), marking the beginning a new chapter as an artist and as an educator. Over the last 40 years Lionel has produced an extraordinary body of work that speaks to his own journey as well as that of the country. And yet few people have seen most of this work,as Lionel has chosen to pursue his artistic career alongside other public positions, mostly as an educator in the arts and heritage sector.
Lionel Davis’ art is finally going to reach a wide audience, thanks to a partnership between the District Six Museum and the Africa South Art Initiative (ASAI).
A retrospective of Lionel’s work opens on 21 June 2017, the artist’s 81stbirthday, at the Iziko South African National Gallery in Cape Town. The exhibition is curated by Tina Smith and Ayesha Price for the District Six Museum.
A fully illustrated book on the artist, with ten specially commissioned essays, is being produced to accompany the exhibition. Titled ‘Awakenings: the art of Lionel Davis’, contributors include prominent academics, curators, educators and artists. The book is edited by Mario Pissarra, and will be published by ASAI,. It will be available for sale at the District Six Museum, ASAI, and selected bookshops. We are planning a print-run of 2,000 (hardcover), with 200 earmarked for free distribution to schools and libraries.
Funding for pre-production of the book has been assured through support from the National Lotteries Commission, and some money has been secured for printing. Additional funding is required in order to ensure a high standard of production, to ensure a satisfactory print-run and to fund distribution of the book to libraries and schools.
Rewards being offered include signed copies of the book, and two new offset lithographic prints specially produced for the Thundafund campaign. These prints were designed by the artist and are printed by Andrea Steer for the Michaelis School of Fine Art, who are supporting this campaign.
If we raise
R50 000 we will be able to print 1 000 copies (soft cover)
R100 000 we will be able to print 2 000 copies (soft cover)
R150 000 we will be able to print 1 250 copies (hard cover)
R 200 000 we will be able to print 2 000 copies (hard cover)
The exhibition is curated by Tina Smith and Ayesha Price for the District Six Museum and the book is edited by Mario Pissarra for ASAI.
Image: Linocut print by Lionel Davis, titled ‘Vanaand Gat die Poppe Dans’ (photo: S. Williams)