Mashudu Nevhutalu | Matriarchs

Mashudu Nevhutalu’s work centres around feelings of nostalgia; a longing to go back to a special or significant moment in time. For Nevhutalu, these feelings and memories are drawn from the faded hues of old family photographs. His painterly interpretations and use of colour, however, are often bright and intense in an attempt to bring about feelings of euphoria. Palettes of warm oranges and vivid pinks saturate his canvases, reinvigorating images of the past whilst remaining true to their inherent familiarity. 

Nevhutalu’s figures are often captured in a moment of peace and imbued with a sense of stillness. They are seen sitting, standing or simply enjoying a moment when nothing else around them seems more important than being present. Many of these figures are women, captured by Nevhutalu with a maternal sense of sensitivity and strength. This focus on female figures has much to do with Nevhutalu’s upbringing as he was raised predominantly by the women of his family. Apart from his mother, there was always an aunt, a grandmother or an older sibling there to nurture the artist. As such, painting women was never a deliberate choice of his but rather something that came naturally. In its essence, ‘Matriarchs’ pays tribute to Nevhutalu’s familial past and the figures who forged it.