Art and Revolution: The Life and Death of Thami Mnyele, South African Artist

November 2008 -

Thami Mnyele's life spanned the era of apartheid. He was born the same year the National Party won office and came of age in a time (the 1960s) and a place (Johannesburg) that offered a sensitive young black artist little encouragement. In 1985, in the waning days of apartheid, he was killed by South African Special Forces operatives in Gaborone, Botswana, where he had joined the banned African National Congress. Although reticent by nature, he played a vanguard role in efforts to throw open the doors of South African culture and to create a modern African esthetic.

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Diana Wylie's literary biography reveals the struggles inside and around a gentle South African artist as he remade himself into a revolutionary soldier. It also brings fresh insights to our understanding of South Africa's recent history.

Art and Revolution: The Life and Death of Thami Mnyele, South African Artist
Diana Wylie
(University of Virginia Press, €18,00)