Artist: Mbongeni Buthelezi
Title: Portrait Study Yellow
Media: molten plastic on plastic
Dimensions: 27.6” x 21.7"
Date: 2008
Info: Mbongeni Buthelezi is a South African artist born 1966.
Statement: Mbongeni Buthelezi collects plastic bags from the streets around his Johannesburg studio and melts them to create a unique kind of art- he calls it "plastic fantastic". -Christian Parkinson
Background Info: Buthelezi was inspired by plastic as a medium early in his career, when he could not afford oil paint after moving to Johannesburg to pursue his art. 20 years later, Buthelezi has evolved his art with his technique of “painting” with plastic waste. By using heat lamps, he melts the plastic to bring it to a manipulative state. He then attaches the hot plastic to each other and the canvas to create the “illusion” of brush strokes.
Theme: This piece of work by Buthelezi connects to the overall theme because it is made with molten plastic bags.
