Hlatshwayo, Isaac

“I paint to live” - used to say the late Isaac Hlatswayo. Isaac trained under Cecil Skotness and Sydney Khumalo at the famous Polly Street art center. His painting style is rare amongst the South African ethnic artists, as he paints mostly in vivid watercolors. His subject matter is the vibrant township life. His work which displays spirited, colorful and energetic township life as well as pastoral rural scenes, is a testimony to this late artist's large soul.Isaac Hlathswayo, as a student at Polly Street art center, was part of the famed Durant Sihlali’s group who did private working sessions on weekends and outdoor painting excursions. Other members of the group were Ephraim Ngatane and Louis Maqubela. They all rose to prominence on the South African art scene in the 1960’s. They have developed an iconography of everyday life in the townships and in the peri-urban areas. Their spectrum of styles stretched from realist to impressionist, mostly in watercolors, gouache and graphic media on paper. As most of his contemporaries at the time - Hlathswayo participated in numerous group and solo exhibitions, and his work features in many private collections.