P.L.A.Y?

Trees play softly in a fresh breeze, dogs play peacefully in a park, as cats chirp away in cheerful sounds while playing. On a hot summer day, the ocean waves wet-kiss the scorched shore playfully as it swallows them into nothingness. But then there is the unmistakably playful, echoing and most often thunderous noise that permeates even the hard-hearted, And that is the children’s outpouring at play. Play will always have identity with a child, carefree and careless. When adults play, we can always ‘catch’ the uninhibited child manner. Playing is a beauty without contradictions, although many spoil it with seriousness and it loses its texture and beauty to become superfluous. Children are sensitive in nature. Similarly, a few chosen artistsmarry the child-like play nature into their work, mastering it beautifully like second nature. One of those rare local breeds, Nkosinathi Thomas Ngulube is showcasing his solo show, befittingly entitled: “P.L.A.Y?(People Love Art, Yes?), at Thomarts Gallery in Foreshore. Yes, We agree, Yes, people adore art! P.L.A.Y? is not only a play on words. It is a well curated body of work that playfully teases our intellect and seduces us to play along. Playfulness connects people from all walks of life and when artists effect it, their audience is led to new discoveries. Artists tell their stories to their audiences effectively through a playful nature. Because of Nkosinathi’s playful, creative approach and experimenting with various materials, his innovative works ooze a sense of fun and beauty. As much as some of the works in this showing take on a serious note that makes us question, he does not fail to lead us on playfully like a magician, to the truths about our society and nature. Featuring sculptures and original mixed media paintings, it is a tremendous body of work not to be missed, before his two-man exhibition in California in the month of May.