Visual Artist Titus Matiyane

Do you by any chance know where Titus Matiyane the artist lives?

 “Follow the music sister,” answered a man fixing a car.

Led by blaring 60’s R&B music on Phupo Street in Atteridgeville, I find Titus sitting outside his four roomed house painting his latest 12 m panoramic drawing of the city of New York.

By: Letlhogonolo Ndhlovu 

Titus Matiyane is a self-taught artist who is famous for his bird’s eye view panoramic paintings of cities around the world.

ShowMe Pretoria caught up with the talented artist as he worked and this is what he had to say.

Is art a very important part of your life?

I am an artist by nature; it is what I do for a living. I started doing art ever since I was a child making big tin toy cars, aeroplanes, trains and houses.  I would draw the toys before making them.

What sparked the thought to draw panoramic drawings of cities?

Whenever I start doing something, I always ask myself what will happen in the end. Will it amaze people?

How did your life change when you started drawing panoramas of cities?

I get invited to places around the world to showcase my work like Berlin, Dubai, and Accra. I’ve exhibited at countless galleries such as the Fried Contemporary Art Gallery, Pretoria art Museum, Netherlands Architecture Institute which always attract a huge crowd.  I have a book published by the Delft University of Technology in Netherlands called Cities of The World; universities support the movement even though I did not study for my art.

Do something that brings you happiness…

Seems like you are more internationally acclaimed then locally, why is that?

Art is not widely supported in South Africa, the department of Art and Culture is not interested in my work but visual art is strongly supported overseas.

What was your first city panorama drawing?

The first drawing was of Atteridgeville around 1992.

How big are your drawings?

These panoramic drawings are different sizes from 6,12,24,46 and 1.5 metres in length.

How long does it take to finish such a huge painting?

About four to five months.

Your landscape drawings are very detailed; the clear blue sky, the hills, the twirling roads, train stations, airports, it all looks very real. Run us through your working process.

Well, I love loud music so depending on the city I am drawing I will play music from the place, today I am playing American music because I am drawing New York. I sketch streets using an Atlas, map of streets, without the map it is not possible to draw. I use books to see pictures of the buildings for more research.

What is your favourite city in the world and in South Africa?

There are too many towns and they are all beautiful. The number one city has to be the United States, China then Europe. In South Africa I like Johannesburg, Cape Town doesn’t have nice townships.

How is township life comparing it to the city?

I prefer township life, I like noise and there’s less crime.

Have you traveled to most of the cities you’ve drawn?

In the beginning I was drawing mostly from my imagination, I had never been on a plane or overseas. When people started showing interest I traveled to the countries for free. At some point in my life 702 came, just like you did today to interview me then took me on an air balloon ride, I got to view the city from the sky.

Quite ironic that the roads you draw so meticulously led you to walk those very streets. Who buys your paintings?

Institutions mostly not individuals like municipalities, governments overseas and universities. The Gautrain recently commissioned a panorama of the Gauteng province which I drew from Soshanguve all the way to Soweto which will be displayed at the Pretoria Gautrain station at Bosman soon.

What is the one thing you always include in all your drawings?

I love aeroplanes and I don’t know why, even as a child building toys I used to love making them. Even now as we sit here, an aeroplane will fly by and I will just stare at it.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

Do something that brings you happiness. Poverty made me brilliant because I know the struggle. I did everything myself, with my mind, my hands and hard work.

Titus Matiyane has teamed up with Cool Capital to bring art alive in the city of Pretoria. His Panoramic drawings are fascinating; the best part is pin pointing the area you are from on the life size drawings.

Read up on artists like Angus Taylor the sculptor whose doing his part in art in Pretoria. Visit ShowMe Pretoria’s Arts and Culture and Local Personalities for more articles.  Visit our Events and Entertainment section for events taking place in and around Pretoria.