The
atmosphere of Africa
Paintings by Peter Pharoah ‘pop’ at
el Pedregal
“Africa
has a way of reaching deep into one’s soul,” wrote painter
Peter Pharoah in International Artist magazine in 2005.
“The heat, the dust, the grit and power, as well as the
diversity of the land and its people, have a way of coming
together and resulting in paintings that are full of contrast
and atmosphere.”
Step
into Zuva Gallery and that’s exactly the feeling you get.
The gallery envelops you immediately in an expanse of
bold paint and proud stone that is, at least figuratively,
contemporary Africa.
“We’re
trying to showcase the best contemporary art Africa has
to offer,” says Zuva’s gallery director Lisa Paulick.
“At Zuva Gallery we answer the call of Africa and that
opens the way for some very spectacular things.”
Since
November 1996, the gallery has been the North Valley showcase
for the latest in African art (mainly from Zimbabwe, Zambia
and South Africa). The gallery is planning a special 10th
anniversary event for Dec.1, a date that coincides with
World AIDS Day.
Present
at the event will be Zimbabwean sculptor Dominic Benhura,
a major figure in African art and a prominent artist in
Zuva’s collection. Benhura is founder of the Dominic Benhura
Library at Kambarami School in his hometown of Murehwa,
Zimbabwe. The school, which Benhura attended, now serves
mainly AIDS orphans. The anniversary gala and subsequent
Benhura gallery show will donate 20 percent of the proceeds
to the library.
Works
in springstone and opal by more than 20 African artists
are on display throughout the gallery. The main attraction
this month are the oil paintings of South African artist
Peter Pharoah.
Thomas Obert,
who founded the gallery and now co‑owns it with Paulick,
first discovered Pharoah’s work while traveling in Africa.
Pharoah’s art at the time (the late 1990s) predominantly
focused on representations of African women.
“I
found his work in a gallery in Knysna,” Obert says, “and
was so impressed I bought a painting of three Zulu women
called ‘Mothers of Africa’ to put in my home. On subsequent
trips I became aware of his versatility as he began doing
wildlife and abstract paintings. His work just pops. You
can see it.”
In
the summer of 2004, Obert and Paulick met Pharoah and the
three became friends. Now, Zuva has exclusive representation
of Pharoah’s art in the United States. Pharoah’s first North
American show was also at Zuva last year.
Zuva
is staging his second exhibit in this country Oct. 13 to
Nov. 13 with an official opening 6‑8 p.m. on Friday,
Oct. 13, at the gallery. More than a dozen works by Pharoah
will be on show and South African wine will be served. Regular
gallery hours are Monday‑Thursday 10 a.m. to 5:30
p.m., Friday‑Saturday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday
11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Born
in Johannesberg, Pharoah studied graphic design and worked
as an art director and illustrator before devoting himself
full‑time in 1998 to painting.
His
paintings, found in collections throughout the world, show
a versatile approach to form. They range from figurative
and wildlife pictures to the startling abstract, red/black
diptychs “Cocktail” and “A Stitch in Time,” and the more
sedate white/gray/black “Ghana II,” “Straight Jacket” and
“Scorched Earth,” all of which are on show at Zuva.
Incorporating
unusual materials and techniques, Pharoah’s approach is
as thoughtful as his outlook and often begins with applying
a base layer of paint to the hardboard with his hands.
Pharoah
described his process in his International Artist article:
“Because they are extremely flexible, oils allow me to create
surface textures ranging from porcelain smooth to wildly
expressive impasto by using brushes, knives or even my fingers.
I usually like to sketch directly in the wet paint, gradually
adding layers ... I like to leave a history of the sketch
in the painting whenever possible, which adds to the atmosphere.”
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