Paintings by five South African artists will be used as massive billboards at 50 locations around South Africa in the outdoor marketing campaign of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003

Rodney Hartman20-Nov-2002Paintings by five South African artists will be used as massive billboards at 50 locations around South Africa in the outdoor marketing campaign of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003.The paintings depict typical South African scenes with an added twist to welcome teams from the 14 competing nations.The artists – Godfrey Ndaba, Dumisani Sibisi, James Durno, Basil Baqwa and Vusi Khumalo – attended a media conference in Johannesburg today when their work was unveiled.Durno’s "Welcome The World" painting will feature on a massive 20×20 metre billboard at John Vorster Square in the City of Johannesburg.When it came to doing the outdoor advertising for the ICC Cricket World Cup between 8 February-23 March 2003, CWC marketing director Nomsa Chabeli and advertising agency TBWA/ Hunt Lascaris decided this should be no ordinary campaign. It needed to welcome the 13 visiting teams with a local flavour, as well being true to one of CWC’s key objectives – to empower South Africans from all walks of life.Each billboard shows a different country being welcomed "South African style" in keeping with the multi-media advertising theme of "It’s Time to….."Instead of simply setting up and photographing images, local artists were commissioned to give their interpretation of the ideas."The result is a stunning collection of South African artworks which will be photographed and placed at strategic outdoor sites around the country," said Ms Chabeli.IT’S TIME TO WELCOME AUSTRALIAA pastel work by Godfrey Ndaba shows an African woman with her young child. Instead of carrying her child in a blanket on her back, she has placed the child in the blanket on her front, forming a kangaroo-like pouch.IT’S TIME TO WELCOME ENGLANDDumisani Sibisi’s beautiful township scene shows a minibus taxi with a difference: an addition to the roof makes it a "local style" double-decker London bus. The newspaper work in the background is all cricket related.IT’S TIME TO WELCOME CANADAThis piece, interpreted by Johannesburg artist James Durno, shows an entourage of Basotho men on horseback, wearing the traditional "Modianyeho" hat. They are escorting a man, in the form of a Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman. The "Mounties" are also well known for their horses and distinguishable hats.IT’S TIME TO WELCOME KENYABasil Baqwa’s graphic pastel work shows a row of men in a line, all with one foot off the ground, emulating the gracious Masai warriors of Kenya. They hold their cricket bats as the Masai hold their spears.IT’S TIME TO WELOME INDIAEastern Cape-based Vusi Khumalo interpreted this idea: a local Putco bus doesn’t just carry passengers inside but, as public transport often does in India, carries several passengers and their luggage on the roof.IT’S TIME TO WELCOME HOLLANDVusi Khumalo was also chosen for this piece. A beautiful landscape shows several traditional thatched huts, but they all sport the sails seen on windmills across Holland.IT’S TIME TO WELCOME THE WORLDJames Durno was also commissioned to welcome the world. This piece will feature at John Vorster Square on a billboard measuring a significant 20mx20m. The work is a summation of all the other works of art. Durno has depicted many of the countries featured on the other billboards all placed collectively on a globe. The African continent stretches out beneath them.The Artists:BASIL BAQWABorn: Soweto 1954Studies: School at JubalaniProfile: When he finished school he managed to get a job cleaning and making tea in an attorney’s office in Johannesburg although he loved painting and sketching in his spare time.In his spare time he would visit and sketch with artists such as Ben Macala and David Mbele. It was them who taught him how to handle the paint and pastelsIn the meantime he had graduated from making the tea to doing filing in the office. His one love was to paint and in 1989 he went into painting full time in order to fulfill his dream of being an artistExhibitions: His work was selling at curio shops, but he was still not satisfied so he joined the Fuba Art Center. Here he began exhibiting with fellow artists at their exhibitions. These exhibitions were held with the groups in Cape Town, Durban and BloemfonteinArt lovers and corporations have bought his work both locally and internationallyJAMES DURNOBorn: Cape Town 1968Studies: National Diploma III in Fine Art.Profile: Has lectured Fine Art and Illustration at various institutions in the Eastern Cape and JohannesburgAward-winning author and illustrator of children’s booksArt Directed for Cambridge University PressApart from working as a fine artist, he runs his own business as an illustrator and cartoonist for various advertising agencies, publishers and magazinesCollections: Works hanging in numerous private and corporate collections, inter alia SA Breweries, Deloite & Touche, and the international Fund for Animal Welfare house at the Addo Elephant Park.Has private collections in the UK, USA and SARepresented in the "Collectors Guide to Art & Artists in South Africa" and the "Zebra Register of South African Artists and Galleries."Exhibitions: More than 20 exhibitions in the past decade, including Volkskas Atelier (Everard Read) in 1991, and Stewart Gallery & Graphiti in 2002.DUMISANI SIBISIBorn: Senoane, Johannesburg, 1962Studies: Attended the Jubalini Technical High SchoolAwards: 1975 won an award in the Maize Board Art Competition. Trained by Sydney Khumalo and Ezrom LegaeExhibitions: Group show SA Association of Art Johannesburg 19771989 taught arts and crafts part-time to assist the teachers at Winnie Ngwekazi; Group show “Contemporary Artists” at the Serendipity Gallery Johannesburg1990 he was commissioned to do illustrations for the “James Sofasonke Mpanza, the Father of Soweto” book; Group exhibition in Australia “Contemporary Artists”; Group exhibition “Leading African Artists” at the Dom Pedro Marina in Portugal;Group show during the tour of 64 SA Black Businesspeople in the USA; Group show “Arts & Crafts” at the Serendipity Gallery, JohannesburgFrom 1991 has been involved in many group shows, and in 1994 put on a one man show at Natalie Knight Gallery “Creating Peace from the Pieces”VUSIMUSI PETRUS KHUMALOBorn: Balfour North 1951; lived in Tanzania Refugee Camp from 1986-92Studies: Summer courses in basic art in Sweden5 years training in textile printing, art and design in Tanzania and Grahamstown1 year certificate in textile printing and general art after a one year scholarship at Konstfack National Arts College, SwedenExhibitions: Among his exhibitions are:Mixed media painting and graphics at the Standard Bank National Arts FestivalGroup exhibition in PortugalSolo exhibitions with mixed media in LondonGroup Exhibition in 2000, organized by the South African National Association for Visual Arts in GermanySolo exhibition with mixed paintings in Cape TownAwards: 2000 Premier’s Award in the field of Visual Art excellence given by the Department of Arts and Culture in partnership with the Provincial Art Council of the Eastern CapeGraeme College Oscar 2000 Community Award in the field of Arts and CultureMember of Advisory Panels and Judges Panels for various national awards and competitions.