Draft:Mwanawamambo

Solomon Mahlatini (artist)

(1 June 1989-Present) is a multidisciplinary visual artist, born in Harare, educated in Zimbabwe and attained his higher education in the United States of America. He is known for his expressive surrealistic paintings, which derive their inspiration from Zimbabwean and South African culture and tradition. He is an artist whose influences make him the inimitable craftsman. Solomon has racked in several awards in this lucrative business.

Mahlatini was born on 1 June 1989 in Harare, Zimbabwe. He attained his primary and high school education at Goldridge Primary and Goldridge College respectively, both schools in Kwekwe, Zimbabwe. He then studied Filmmaking and Television production at Columbia College Hollywood, in Los Angeles, California, and later transferred to a Bachelor of Fine Arts, where he graduated with honors from Oklahoma’s East Central University

There he nurtured his gift of creativity through various mediums like sculpture, graphic design, drawing, and painting.

He was highly awarded and became the President of the East Central University Art Club in 2015. Together with his committee members, they organized the first local Art engagement project held at The Grandview in Ada Oklahoma, that saw local students showcasing their Art to the public.

He won the E.C.U Director's Choice Award in the annual school exhibition in 2017, won the Curator's Choice Award for the Momentum 2015 hosted by the O.V.A.C (Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition) at the Gold Dome in Oklahoma City. The same year Mahlatini was selected as a featured artist at Legacy Bank in Edmond, Oklahoma. He was also featured in a book Artster Oklahoma, which debuted at the Oklahoma Hall of Fame where a reception and book signing was held.

Mahlatini was also the first African chosen as a recipient of the O.Gail Poole Travel Grant, courtesy of the O.Gail Poole foundation. This afforded him an opportunity to visit Mexico City, home to the Frida Kahlo Museum (memorializing one of his biggest artistic inspirations).

2021 Mahlatini was selected as a committee member of the 500X Gallery in Dallas, Texas. The same year he won an Award of Merit at the Plano Arts Association 125 2022 Show for his painting REMEMBER THE TEACHINGS OF YESTERDAY. The same year, his painting titled MANIFESTATIONS won 2nd place at the Lewisville Arts Association Annual exhibition.

Mahlatini also exhibited in 5 shows in the Dallas Fort Worth area.

He signed to Africa World Art Gallery, in Washington D.C (USA) in 2022, where he did his first solo exhibition there titled RETROSPECTION, it was a successful solo exhibition of his collectionwhich was an homeage to his early childhood and his mother's teachings in Drawing. The event was attended by His Excellency Honorable Tadeous Chifamba (Zimbabwean Ambassador to the USA), along with noteable collector's like Mr Reggie Van Lee.

Mahlathini was exhibiting in Washington DC for the first time in seven years and the 16 December exhibition became a welcome reception for him.

Solomon subsequently did another exhibition titled A TALE OF MUD AND HONEY, which was highly acclaimed by noteable critics, artists, and collectors like Don Patron who also invested in a piece.

Mahlatini was also chosen as the first African and first Zimbabwean to be a live painter at the Washington Performing Arts Gala in 2023, held at the prestigious Smithsonian National Building Museum. He created a live piece titled “Lady Potomac”  in celebration of the gala’s theme.

The same year Mahlatini was chosen as the first artist to do a live painting at Harvard Law School during the Africa Development Conference, which saw the piece being auctioned off to South African based billionaire Ivor Ichikowitz.

Biography

Solomon Mahlatini was born in Harare, Zimbabwe. His family later relocated to Kwekwe, a small mining city in the Midlands Province of Zimbabwe. He received private school education at Goldridge Primary and Goldridge College respectively, from attended his primary and secondary education from 1995 - 2010.

In his primary schooling he was an active member of the musical, theatre, fine arts, and athletics fields. He started as the main actor in a school play in first grade, then 4 years later went on to star as Joseph in a rendition of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat", which was produced at the Kwekwe Reps Theater.

In the 5th grade Mahlatini would have his paintings auctioned for the highest amount at a school auction, that aimed to raise funding for women's cricket (a male dominated sport), in the city of Kwekwe.

He continued to foster his Art curiosity through his mother's guidance, an artist herself who became a business entrepreneur in the beauty industry. Mahlatini went on to explore artistic expression through joining the Public Speaking Club, Poetry Club, Art Club, and Acting. During this time he was offered a scholarship to Sweden through a recruiting agency, but his father felt it was a bit premature at his age to be alone in a foreign country.

He graduated top of his class with distinctions in Literature in English, World History, Art, and was awarded The Unsung Hero Award during his High School Graduation, where he had ambitions of becoming a lawyer.

However, life would have him study Filmmaking and Television Production in the "Silicone Valley" of Los Angeles, at a private film school [Columbia College Hollywood], where he focused and excelled with a 3.89 G.P.A, and his specialty being Editing. He acted in a few student short films, with his mentor being Cynthia Hardy, produced short films, and edited promo-videos for the school, in addition to writing scripts of his own.

He later relocated to other states like Washington D.C, Virginia, and Maryland, in search of pursuing his true passion which was Fine Art.

He applied and got accepted in George Mason University, but ultimately ended up transferring to East Central University , in Ada, Oklahoma; as the former school wouldn't accept credits from a private film school in another state.

He graduated with a B.F.A (Bachelors of Fine Arts) in Studio Art, with a focus in Painting. He would go on to exhibit more of his work around multiple galleries in the United States.

Early life

Being the first born in a family of four, one brother and two younger sisters, Solomon has always felt the need of being protective and value family.

He grew up very reclusive life, mainly because his father insisted that education should be one's first friend. Solomon was also shy as peers and those around him tended to make fun of his soft natured spirit and eccentric artistic flair, which his mother nurtured and encouraged him to express himself, regardless of what people said about him.

He was outspoken but also fell victim to bullying, which led him to seek Art as a form of catharsis.

He was highly engaged in school activities, clubs, fundraisers, and social events.

His father being a shaman and his mother a devout Christian, seems to form the basis of where Mahlatini drives his inspiration. This combined with regular visits in nature, to the countryside of Chiundura, outside of Kwekwe; where his father owns a farm and mine. These vivid memories of the land, fauna, and flora, would shape the color palettes and forms which Solomon incorporates in his work. Like his piece titled KUDZANAI in the Reggie Van Lee Collection, is an homage to his father's birthplace where he owned a bar and grocery store named "Kudzanai", which means respect each other in the Shona dialect.

Mahlatini would continue to use his artistic expression as a way of escaping the sometimes harsh realities of life

United States of America

Solomon moved to the USA in 2011

Return to Zimbabwe

Zunde Art Hub

Zunde Art Hub was established 09 January 2024 by Solomon Mahlatini. It is a non-profit organization geared towards giving a platform to young and emerging Zimbabwean artists an opportunity to showcase their work, in the global Art canon.

Themes

Mahlatini's work focuses on Identity in it's multifaceted nature and to the human lived experience.

The artist says,"My creations are a personification of life. In life we experience joy and pain; consistency and obstacles. The pieces serve as a reminder that life is not perfect, but it is worth celebrating."

Exhibitions

Solo exhibitions

2023 A TALE OF MUD AND HONEY, Africa World Art Gallery, Washington D.C  

2022  RETROSPECTION, Africa World Art Gallery, Washington D.C  

2015  "Solomon Mahlatini: Goridhe Collection" Peg Alston Fine Arts, New York, NY     

2014 Solomon Sees D.C, Pinstripes, Georgetown, Washington D.C   

2014 Solomon Sees Detroit, Boston Edison District, Michigan   

2014 Solomon Sees Atlanta  Decatur, Georgia   

2013 Solomon Sees D.C, Pinstripes, Georgetown, Washington D.C   

Group exhibitions

2022 Art In the Atrium, Frisco Public Arts,Frisco, TX

2022 Fresh Ideas, Visual Art League of Lewisville, Lewisville, TX  

2022 I25 SHOW, Plano Arts, Eisemann Center, Richardson, TX  

2022 9th Annual Artspace111 Juried Exhibition, Fort Worth, TX  

2022 Figurative & Abstraction, Old Cotton Mill, McKinney, TX  

2022 Artrageous , VGAF Discovery Center, Frisco, TX   

2022 Respite (ii), Pencil on Paper Gallery, Dallas TX   

2022 Art 214, Bath House Cultural Center, Dallas, TX   

2022 Art 214, Moody Performance Hall, Dallas, TX   

2022 Respite, Pencil on Paper Gallery, Dallas, TX   

2021 Black Voices, 500X Gallery, TX   

2020 Philbrook Museum and OVAC partnership, Tulsa, OK   

2020  Wings Gala: Bubbles and Bids, The Skirving Hotel, Ok   

2020  CONCEPT, Ahha, Tulsa, OK   

2019 Please Touch the Art, Mckeon Center, Tulsa, OK   

2019  Artster Oklahoma, Gaylord Museum. OK   

2018 Senior Exhibition, Pogue Gallery. Ada, OK   

2018  Please Touch the Art exhibition, Tulsa, OK     

2017  East Central University, 55th Annual Student Exhibition, Ada, OK     

2017  OVAC Momentum Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK   

2016  OVAC Momentum Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK   

2014  Pepco Gallery Place, Washington DC     

2013  Capitol Art Fair, Washington DC   

2013  Capitol Silent Auction, Georgetown, Washington DC   

2012  Artists in Motion (Group exhibition), Columbia College Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA   

2012  Colors of Pride (Group exhibition), Graphi-ko Gallery/Jewelery, St Petersburg, Florida,     

2011  Black Pride and Promote (Solo exhibition), Hilton (LAX) Hotel, Los Angeles, CA     

Awards/Honors/Achievements

2022 Gallery representation, AWAG, Washington D.C

2022 2nd Place, Fresh Ideas, Visual Art League Lewisville , TX

2022 Award of Merit, Plano Arts Association, 125 SHOW 22

2022 Stanford University MFA Art Practice Finalist   

2021 500X Gallery Inductee (2021 – 2022)   

2018 O.Gail Poole Travel Award   

2018 East Central University, Director's Award   

2018 OVAC Momentum Oklahoma, Curator's Choice Award 

2015– 2018 East Central University Art Club President