About Us
Our story begins when a mother and daughter-in-law get together and decide to combine their skills - one has an eye for unique, interesting works of art and the other a skill for digital marketing. The result is africanartonline.co.za.
Eilat’s interest in South African art started with David Mbele’s work. The unique way he portrayed his subjects, emphasising cheerful round cheeks which contrasts sharply against the hardship and suffering of that time caught her attention. That first encounter turned into a lifelong passion. Over the course of 30 years, Eilat grew her circle of South African artists and soon she had an extensive collection of South African works. Some of the works featured on the site depict life in the townships of South Africa during the 60s, 70s and 80s. Artists of that time, despite the lack of access to art supplies, found ways to express themselves artistically. Some used everyday items like newspapers and some used more ingenious items like sand from mines. For example, Dumisani Sibisi used newspapers as a canvas that adds depth and character; Solomon Sekhaolelo uses spray paint to create the smokey haze depicting everyday cooking and Peter Sibeko used sand from mines as a painting surface. We welcome you to explore the different styles and shapes of works and hope that one, or more, will catch your imagination. Happy Exploring!