LUCAS SITHOLE

LS8211
"Witchdoctor", 1982 - Swazi msimbiti wood - 076x048x043 cm
Provenance:
Gallery 21, Johannesburg
Work exhibited:
Gallery 21, Johannesburg - 1982 cat. X06; 1983 - cat. X18; 1985 cat. X15
Work illustrated:
The Star, Johannesburg - 9.12.1982, ill.
Gallery 21 invitation brochure "Selected Sculptures 1980-1983 by Lucas Sithole", ill.
"Where" Magazine, Johannesburg - 11.3.1984, ill.
"Hello", Johannesburg - Gallery 21 advertisements (February + May 1984, Nov 1985), ill.
Sowetan, Johannesburg - 30.10.1985, ill.
Informa, Pretoria - Dec. 1985, Vol. 32 No 10, ill. on cover + p. 16
Our Art4 Ons Kuns (F.E.S.T., Pretoria) - 1993, p. 184 ill. + commented
Press review:
Die Transvaler, Johannesburg - 6.12.1982, commented
Vaderland, Johannesburg - 6.11.1985, commented
Artist's legend:
"I met this witchdoctor and wanted to make friends with him, but then I was very frightened. He was in his village. I walked to his garden, he saw me and said: what do you want? I told him I was looking for some wood. Someone pointed up to the tree near him, from which there many dead snakes hanging. There were also snake skins hanging around his neck and in his hair. I had started to carve this sculpture and wanted to show it to the witchdoctor before it was completed, but he did not want to see it and threatened that I would not get away alive if I showed it to him. So I left then with my truck and he never saw the sculpture."
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