Mbombela Art Gallery

On the 15th of June 2012, the Executive Mayor of Mbombela, Cathy Dlamini officially opened the  Mbombela Art Gallery to the public so that we may all gaze in awe at artworks that have been looming behind closed doors for many years.

The council of Mbombela has been collecting artwork since 1980 and it is now on display for the first time at the old Van Riebeeck Sports Hall in Drysdale Street. The collection holds 80 works of art from national and international artists and includes some very celebrated names.

Hanging on display you will find some proudly South African pieces by Walter Battiss, Judith Maso, Lebo Thamae, Zakkie Eloff, Jean Welz, Keith Alexander, Bettie Cilliers Barnard, Esias Bosch and Tinus de Jongh.

The main attraction and arguably the most famous piece on display was that of Salvador Dali. The Dali etching called Sorcieres an balia (Witches with broom), valued at R90 000, was however stolen in 2013 together with a painting by Tinus de Jongh’s, titled Entrance to Leeuwenhof, valued at R8000 and Margaret Chilton’s Coloured Circles valued at R1500.

Salvador was a Spanish surrealist painter best known for his striking and bizarre imagery. He has made his mark at the Mbombela Art Gallery with a sketch of two women of which one is riding on a broomstick. Art lovers are astounded by the simplicity and yet attention to detail of his work.

Another ‘must see’ is a painting by artist Walter Battiss. Walter Battiss is a well known South African abstract painter who is famous for his Fook Island of the imagination. Interestingly, this specific painting was bought by the Mbombela Council’s first art collector, Leigh Voight in 1985 for only R5 000.

The Council’s art collection received an incredible boost when an anonymous donor left the institution 37 works of art in her will. Shortly afterwards the council closed down the gallery and moved the artworks to the local municipal offices. In 2010 the Van Riebeeck Park Sports Hall was renovated into an art gallery.

Opening Times

The Mbombela Art Gallery is open to the public daily from 10h00 to 17h00. Entrance is free.

How to get there

From Crossing Shopping Centre, drive on the R40 in the direction of Barberton. Turn left into Piet Retief Street (Corner of Sonpark and Rob Ferreira Hospital). Continue on Piet Retief passing through a circle until you get to a four way stop. Go straight over the four way stop and take your next right into Van Wijk Street. Then turn left into Drysdale Street and continue until you see the old Van Riebeeck Sports Hall on your right.