Description
Mixed media on canvas
160 x 94 cm
Dreaming of home
Artist:Tumelo Mphela
Mixed media on canvas
160 x 94 cm
Sold
Within South Africa we courier your artwork to your door - the shipping cost will show at the checkout. When shipping art internationally, two primary options are commonly considered: crated and rolled. Crating involves securely packaging the artwork in a custom-built crate, providing maximum protection against physical damage but often resulting in higher shipping costs due to size and weight. We will be in touch regarding the best options for you. Virtual hanging of art is an innovative service we offer that allows art enthusiasts and collectors to visualize how artworks will appear in their desired spaces before making a purchase. We digitally place the selected artworks on your walls, in the correct scale to achieve the desired aesthetic. This service not only helps in making informed decisions but also enhances the overall art-buying experience, providing a realistic preview of the final result and ensuring that the chosen artworks harmonize with the surrounding decor. Please contact us to make use of this service!
Shipping Info
On the other hand, rolling art involves taking stretched paintings off the frame, carefully wrapping the artwork and placing it in a protective tube. This method is more cost-effective and suitable for flexible pieces.
Choosing between crating and rolling depends on the specific artwork's size, fragility, and budget, as well as the destination's shipping requirements and regulations.
Virtual Hanging
Tumelo Mphela
Tumelo Mphela
Born in 1995 in the rural village of Mokopane, located in Limpopo, Tumelo Mphela received early encouragement from his teachers at Madibane High School due to his artistic talents. These formative years in his hometown inspired him to pursue a career in the arts.
Currently residing in Johannesburg, Tumelo Mphela pursued a degree in Fine and Applied Arts at Tshwane University of Technology. Although he initially developed a strong affinity for pencil and charcoal drawings — appreciating the versatility of these mediums in creating intricate textures and subtle tonal shifts — he has since expanded his artistic repertoire to include a wide range of media, including sculpture. His artworks frequently tackle pressing social issues with the aim of evoking emotional responses from viewers.
Tumelo Mphela’s artistic passion lies in drawing and sculpting, using these mediums to create sensory experiences that direct attention to socio-political issues such as dominance and oppression. His subject matter is carefully selected to express specific emotions and to suggestively evoke underlying narratives. His work engages deeply with environmental concerns and the socio-political implications of land use in Africa, emphasizing that our natural resources are not infinite.
In many of his pieces, Tumelo Mphela uses matchsticks as a metaphor to signify power and action, especially in relation to the impact of mining on communities across South Africa. His works often depict children holding matchsticks, symbolizing both the destructive and transformative potential of mining. Children represent the future and bear the weight of decisions made in the present, embodying both vulnerability and latent strength.
Tumelo Mphela possesses an extraordinary talent for evoking emotions through his art, using each piece to craft a deeply personal and socially relevant experience. He often portrays his younger sister in his drawings and paintings, finding a therapeutic connection in the process. Every detail, texture, and vibrant colour he employs serves to heal his soul and bring him inner peace.
Tumelo Mphela collaborated with artist Theophelus Rikhotso in a duo exhibition, Whispers Of Home, at Trent Gallery, Pretoria, which opened in March 2025. He also participated in the group exhibition A Flash of Remembrance at Terracontemporary Art Gallery, Pretoria East, in September 2024. In December 2024, he featured in another duo exhibition, Echoes Of Place, at The Viewing Room Art Gallery, Pretoria.
Tumelo Mphela is represented by The Artist Gallery in Cape Town.
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