Biography record

Sokhaya Charles Nkosi

BORN

27 January 1949

UPDATED

23 Aug 2019

SUMMARY

Graphic artist

Sokhaya Charles Nkosi was born on 27 January 1949 in Durban.From 1974 to 1976 Nkosi studied painting, graphics, sculpture, weaving and ceramics at Rorke's Drift. From 1977 to 1980 he worked full-time at his art at Mariannhill. From 1980 to 1981, he taught art at the Open School, Durban. Between 1982 and 1986 he was employed as a graphic artist by the SABC. Since 1986 he has been a senior tutor at the AIA, FUNDA, teaching drawing and painting to diploma students.

Exhibitions:

1974: Sweden (Rorke's Drift, organised by Otto Lundbohm).

1975: DAM (Art SA Today).

Durban (Black Expo, organised by Don Joseph, an art teacher in Chatsworth).

1977: NSA, Durban (three-person exhibition with Duke Ketye and Michael Ntuli).

1979: UN, Pietermaritzburg (part of centenary celebrations group).

1974-80: UFH (annual group exhibition).

1977-84: UZ (annual group exhibition).

1980: Mariannhill Art Gallery (two-person exhibition with Bongani Shange).

1979-80: NSA””tour (group).

Durban (Black Expo).

1981: Gaborone, Botswana (Culture and Resistance Conference).

1982: Medical University of South Africa (Medunsa) (group).

National Museum and Art Gallery, Gaborone, Botswana

(Art Toward Social Development An Exhibition of SA Art).

1984: U2 (group).

(987: Shell Gallery ('Explorations' joint exhibition with Vincent

Baloyi and AIA students).

TAG (Rorke's Drift Fine Art School in Retrospect).

1988: JAG (Vita Art Now).

Commissions:

1978: Three life-size murals at the Glebe Tavern, Durban (Durban Municipality).

Awards:

1984: UZ Art Exhibition (second prize for painting).

Collections:

KC; Munich Museum of African Art, West Germany; UFH; UZ.

How we know this

1. 01Sack, S. (1988). The Neglected Tradition, Johannesburg: Johannesburg Art Gallery.

South African History Online. (2011, February 17). Sokhaya Charles Nkosi. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/B-0008806

AI Overview

Sokhaya Charles Nkosi (born 27 January 1949 in Durban / KwaMashu, KwaZulu-Natal) is a prominent South African graphic artist, painter, sculptor, and educator. [1, 2, 3]

Background & Education

Birth: 27 January 1949, Durban (KwaMashu), South Africa.
Training: Studied at the renowned Rorke's Drift Art and Craft Centre from 1974 to 1976, focusing on painting, graphics, sculpture, weaving, and ceramics. [1, 2]

Career & Teaching

Mariannhill & Open School: Worked as a full-time artist at Mariannhill (1977–1980) and taught art at the Open School in Durban (1980–1981). [1]
SABC: Served as a graphic artist for the SABC from 1982 to 1986. [1]
Funda Centre & AIA: Became a senior tutor in drawing and painting at the African Institute of Art (AIA) at the FUNDA Centre in Soweto, mentoring generations of South African artists. [1, 2]

Artistic Style & Themes

Black Consciousness & Theology: Nkosi's work is deeply rooted in Black consciousness, spirituality, and Black theology, using expression and form to document life, struggle, and dignity under and after apartheid. [1, 2]
Healing Time Scripts: Critics and historians often describe his portfolio not merely as "township art," but as "healing time scripts" that record Black expressive modes, resistance, and resilience. [1, 2]
Notable Works & Series:
• Crucifixion series (1976)
• Drumbeat (Congo Drummist) (1979)
• Soweto at Dawn (1979)
• Wishful Thinking (1995, relief etching)
• The Abating of the Storm (2001)
• Resilience (2006) [1, 2, 3]

Collections & Legacy

His work is featured in prominent institutions including the South African History Online archive, the SABC Art Collection, the Bronx Museum, the Constitutional Court Art Collection (CCAC), and international collections in Munich and beyond. [1, 2, 3, 4]
His life and legacy have also been celebrated through collaborative exhibitions (such as Neighbours with Vincent Baloyi) and documentary projects like Beyond The Brush: Charles Nkosi and The Art of Legacy by AFDA. [1, 2]