Description
Mixed media
35 x 25 cm
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The Cold Stare
R6,500 (Excl. VAT)
R7,475 (Incl. VAT)
Artist:David Madlabane
Mixed media
35 x 25 cm
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
David Madlabane
David Madlabane
Johannesburg-based visual artist David Madlabane (b. 1996), professionally known as David Blakc, interrogates the interplay between identity, environment, and architectural form. His practice is rooted in the lived experience of journeying through Johannesburg, observing how people and places shape one another in subtle yet profound ways. Through this perspective, he explores the human life cycle and the inevitability of change: how individuals grow, come of age, adapt, and navigate transformative moments within an urban landscape that is itself constantly evolving.
Madlabane positions the human figure at the centre of his compositions, using posture and expression to evoke shared vulnerability and introspection. His mark-making draws directly from fingerprints, reimagined as organic contour lines that construct portraits. These fluid, biological lines reflect identity’s instability, while the negative spaces between them point to erasure, fragmented histories, and the rigid ideologies that shape self-perception. In contrast, rigid architectural elements drawn from Johannesburg’s eclectic skyline represent the structured systems, social, political, and spatial, that consciously and subconsciously influence behaviour. Through these layered visual tensions, Madlabane juxtaposes the organic (human) with the structural (urban), highlighting how the city mirrors the self.
Madlabane’s practice spans an array of mediums, with a strong foundation in traditional printmaking, including linocut, silkscreen, and etching. He has honed his technical expertise through roles as studio assistant at Artist Proof Studio’s pro shop and in William Kentridge’s renowned studio. His dynamic contributions have earned significant recognition, including the People’s Choice Award at the Strauss & Co Art Competition and first prize in a collaborative project with Artist Proof Studio and Cartier, showcased at the FNB Joburg Art Fair. He has also been a finalist for the Blessing Ngobeni Art Prize, with his works residing in notable collections such as The Legacy Group, including installations at Johannesburg’s iconic Leonardo Building.
Continuing to expand his reach, Madlabane has partnered with institutions such as the Los Angeles Printmaking Society, strengthening his cross-cultural engagement. With a vision to transcend borders, he aims to further establish himself on the global stage.
