The work of South African artist Ezequiel Mabote will be exhibited at the Bronx Community College Hall of Fame Art Gallery in Bliss Hall February 8-18, 2010. The exhibit, Ubuhle Be Africa (The Beauty of Africa), will feature woodblock prints by Mabote. Bronx Community College is located at 2155 University Avenue, Bronx, New York. Directions to the campus are available at www.bcc.cuny.edu/directions/directions.htm.
An opening reception for the exhibit will take place Thursday, February 11, from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Hall of Fame Gallery—and is free and open to the public. The Hall of Fame Gallery is open weekdays for the exhibit from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Born in Mozambique, Mabote is a self-taught artist who grew up in Maputo. He was influenced by community elders, and was taught to carve and paint textiles. He later took art lessons in school. In 1998, Mabote moved to South Africa. He was introduced to printmaking at the BAT Centre, an arts and culture community. He studied under well-known artists such as Malcolm Christian, Dr. David Koloane, and Kevin Sipp. Mabote specializes in printmaking, painting, sculptures, murals, and bookbinding. His work reflects his childhood memories of people at work and leisure.
Woodblock printing is a method of reproducing a picture by using a thin block of wood. The artist sketches the picture on the wood; the areas that are to be printed are not touched, but the rest of the block’s surface is cut away. Ink is applied to the raised, uncut parts of the block; then a sheet of paper is pressed on the block and the inked image is transferred to the paper.
Mabote has exhibited around the world, including New York, Chicago, South Africa, and Germany. “I spend most of my time in the studio, so it is a privilege to stand in front of people and present my work,” he says. “People get a better understanding of me as an artist and my background.”
The Ubuhle Be Africa (The Beauty of Africa) exhibit was made possible by the BCC Office of the President, Office of Academic Affairs, National Center for Educational Alliances, and the Global Initiatives steering committee; and is funded in part by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, BCC Inc., and the Department of Art and Music at Bronx Community College.
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Founded in 1957, Bronx Community College (BCC), the oldest of City University of New York’s six community colleges, serves as the engine for academic and economic mobility for motivated students from diverse backgrounds and preparations. More than 11,000 students from over 109 nations are enrolled in 30 associate degree and certificate programs including Nursing, Radiologic Technology, Computer Graphics, Nuclear Medicine, and Business Administration, Digital Arts, Computer Information Systems, Education Associate, Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Technology, Electronic Engineering Technology, Liberal Arts, Marketing, Accounting, Human Services, Media Technology and Paralegal Studies. BCC’s 43-acre campus, high above the Harlem River, features architectural masterpieces of Stanford White and Marcel Breuer, as well as the Hall of Fame of Great Americans, the nation’s first hall of fame. BCC President Carolyn G. Williams is in her 13th year of leadership service to the College, which is located on a 43-acre campus at 2155 University Avenue at West 181st Street , formerly New York University’s uptown campus until 1973.
The College is home to initiatives not commonly associated with two-year institutions, such as the Center for Sustainable Energy, which promotes the use of renewable and efficient energy technologies in urban communities. The National Center for Educational Alliances (NCEA) is currently collaborating with South African Further Education and Training Colleges and universities to create linkages between these institutions. NCEA also coordinates the College’s international initiatives and the annual International Education Week.