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This year Avhashoni Mainganye who has done several projects in collaboration with the printmakers at David Krut Print Workshop has been selected as one of five finalists for the desirable Sasol Wax Art Award. Other finalists include Stephen Hobbs, Hentie van der Merwe, Brett Murray and Tracey Rose. The artists were expected to submit proposals for a body of work using wax (one of Sasol’s major products worldwide), either in process, medium or concept.

Avhashoni Mainganye was born in Phiphidi in 1957, in Venda the land of legends. His career as an artist spans twenty years. In 1981 he enrolled for art training at the Arts and Craft centre at Rorke’s Drift, where he studied Linocut printing and watercolour painting. In 1985 he joined the Funda Art Centre. He has since worked in media such as sculpture, collage and photography. Over the years he has been invited to collaborate and teach all over the world. He has taught art to prisoners in Venda, taught painting and Linocut printing at Coker College in the United States of America and collaborated with artists in Switzerland, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Mainganye also takes part in the USSALEP/Thupelo art workshops regularly and has created a large body of work from these workshops.

I spoke to Mainganye over the phone from his hometown in Venda and he shared his plans for the upcoming competition. He has decided to use candles to illuminate sacred places in Venda mythology. He explains: “I am going to light candles around the lake which hosts many spirits of our people and also the forest that is the royal burial site. The forest is host to many medicinal herbs and I would like to highlight its value in the community.” People maintain relationships with their ancestors by placating the water spirits, leaving offerings at the Phiphidi Falls and in Gubukhuvo, the pool into which the water flows below the falls. It is believed that these water sprites can trap their own meat but that they cannot grow grain under water. Because of this the people leave beer and grain on a sacred stone near the top of the falls to cultivate good relations with the ancestral spirits. Avhashoni will also be acting as a tour guide, walking people through these sites and teaching them the stories of the Venda people. He will also be decorating one of the village huts entirely with candles with the help of his students. Their entire process of decorating and lighting of the candles will be documented by Mainganye, who will then enlarge the photographs and include them in the exhibition. He will also be producing paintings on canvas and 3D light sculptures as part of his entry.

Mainganye said, “I am glad that I have been selected as one of the artists for this year’s award, but I wouldn’t have been disappointed if I hadn’t been selected as there was tough competition and I was surprised by some of the artists who weren’t selected. Being acknowledged like this is great but I am not working for the prize. I am motivated by the fact that I am bringing to life an idea that I have had for a long time.”

Avhashoni sees this as a chance to highlight the legends and myths of the Venda people and also to uplift his community by being an inspiration to them. Avhashoni said, “My community needs me to help uplift them because it is rural and out of the way and it tends to be forgotten. People here need motivation and I certainly hope that I will give them that.” Having grown up with the legends and myths he can now use this opportunity to share the stories with the Western world: “Growing up with the stories and the experiences makes all these stories true to us, but often the Western world doesn’t believe or understand them. I would like to change this mindset,” said Mainganye.

When asked about who of the finalists he is most afraid of in terms of competition he promptly responded, “Tracey Rose, because she is a woman. It is going to be a challenge to win and I look forward to the exhibition.”

Avhashoni has also been invited by the Association for Visual Arts (AVA) in Cape Town to exhibit his work in the course of this year.

Keywords: Avhashoni Mainganye, Sasol Wax Art Award