Ezequiel Mabote – African art with a Mozambican influence
Ezequiel can be found at the Bat Centre developing masterpieces, with a smile on his face. There is exuberance in his voice when he talks about his art and he is quick to explain some of his techniques.
He doesn’t come from an artistic family, his parents were artisans and involved in farming. Instead he found his lover for art by helping neighbours. From the age of 14 years, he was a helper for artists living nearby and this sparked a love for art.
In 1998, at the invitation of family, he left Mozambique and moved to South Africa. Ezequiel believed that South Africa was a big country, where, if you work hard, you can make it. He knew that there would be learning opportunities for him.
In 1999 Ezequiel joined the Bat Centre, became a full time artist and had his first exhibition the same year. He learnt about and developed a passion for print making.
His art portrays his background and symbolizes love. Some of his pieces he describes as ‘spiritual’ art; depicting people going to church and angles.
Ezequiel has been successful since coming to the Bat Centre. He’s had many local exhibitions and has had exhibitions in New York, Chicago and Dubai.
Besides doing what he enjoys, Ezequiel believes in giving back to the community and especially young artists. You’ll often find him busy with workshops and promoting art as a viable career choice.
Besides being a talented artist, Ezequiel has developed business skills to promote art – he has a gallery at the King Shaka Airport called Mabote Visual Art.
Ask Ezequiel whether he can imagine a life where he is not an artist and he explains that if someone had to look at him without art in his life, they’d be looking at a dead image…
You can contact Ezequiel Mabote to view his art and workshop on 076 111 0843.