Mabulu, sensation generation & the irrelevance of shock art

EWN | Haji Mohamed Dawjee:

In his 2010 work, Ngcono Ihlwempu Kunesibhanxa Sesityebi (Better poor than a rich puppet), artist Ayanda Mabulu portrays Jacob Zuma in the nude, Desmond Tutu accompanies the SA president in the painting.

Then in 2012, Mabulu released Umshini Wam (Weapon of Mass Destruction). This painting depicted Zuma engaged in a traditional Zulu dance, spread eagle and penis revealed. Mabulu was able to snatch a few headlines, but he garnered little criticism and outcry compared to fellow South African artist Brett Murray’s The Spear, released the same year… Read more

Image: Ayanda Mabulu