2008 | Thami Mnyele + Medu Art Ensemble Retrospective

Thami Mnyele + Medu Art Ensemble Retrospective by Clive Kellner (Editor), Sergio-Albio Gonzalez (Editor)

A companion volume to the art exhibition centering on Thami Mnyele, the late artist and member of the Medu Art Ensemble -an antiapartheid arts organization in Gaborone, Botswana, which disbanded after a violent raid of their headquarters in 1985 that killed Mnyele- this volume pays tribute to his art, notes his contributions to the graphics unit of Medu, and presents archival material about Medu itself. More than a simple catalog, this magnificently designed book is arranged in 10 sections, mirroring the different operating units of Medu. An extensive chapter illustrating the screen-printed political posters -some of which are now iconic images of the anti-apartheid movement- is contextualized with snapshots of Mnyele and George Metz creating the works in Medu's makeshift silk-screen studio under a tree in the fierce African heat.

Thami Mnyele Foundation promotes the exchange of art and culture between Africa and the Netherlands.