Tribute Series lithographs 2008

Sam Nhlengethwa is intrigued by people and their spaces "Throughout the years, all my pieces have dealt with the movement of people. I enjoy paying homage to people and places through my art". In this series of prints, the second in which he pays tribute to some of his visual art contemporaries, he salutes Dumile Feni, William Kentridge, Judith Mason, Marlene Dumas, Peter Clark and David Koloane. The first series honoured George Pemba, Dumisani Mabaso, Esta Mahlangu, Robert Hodgins and Gerard Sekoto.

All these artists are South African and all of them have secured their place on the local and international art scene. By recreating the works of his contemporaries and role models and then placing them within a represented or imagined gallery space Nhlengethwa provides a new context in which to experience the work of these celebrated artists. The artist's work has been paired up with contemporary spaces and furniture that emphasise Nhlengethwa's understanding of the "mental space" of that particular artist, and then pulled together using Nhlengethwa's own distinctive style.