Biography
Bambolwami Sibiya was born in KwaThema, Springs, near Johannesburg. During his high school years he trained at Mbira School of Music and Art under the late Paul Madi Phala. When he completed his schooling, he attended Benoni Technical Collage and studied graphic design and art. His teacher, Paul Madi Phala, recommended that he should apply to Artist Proof Studio (APS) to attend printmaking classes in the Saturday programme while continuing to support himself. His determination to succeed and his natural talent convinced Lucas Ngweng, a teacher at APS, to recommend him as a full-time student. Sibiya, at this time explains that he caught “the printmaking bug”. In 2008 he was offered a full bursary to enter his second year as a full-time student
His work-place internship during his third and fourth year as the assistant gallery curator for the APS Gallery exposed him to the handling of professional artist’s work. He was fortunate to work on the large-scale linocuts of several leading artists such as William Kentridge, Diane Victor, Norman Catherine and Colbert Mashile. The scale and power of those monumental prints profoundly moved Sibiya and he extended his own work on a larger scale as he tackled more ambitious images with added confidence.
Sibiya has fared exceptionally well in various art competitions over the years. In 2008 he was a finalist in the Ekurhuleni Art Award and in 2009 and 2010 he was a semi-finalist in the Thami Mnyele Award, receiving a Merit Award. In 2011 he was in the top ten nominees for this award. In 2012 he was a finalist in the Absa L’Atelier awards and the winner of the prestigious Gerard Sekoto Award, which provided him with a three-month residency at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris in 2013. In 2012 he was recognized the Arts and Culture Trust (ACT) awards for the most promising visual artist for 2012, an award given to him by the Johannesburg art community.
Bambo Sibiya’s work has rapidly found an active market. His work is being bought by private collectors and public curators. His skill and virtuosity and deeply felt empathy and engagement with community challenges, places this young artist on the threshold of a bright future. His supporters feel that an investment in this young artist’s career is an investment in the talent of the best and brightest that South Africa has to offer.
- Ekurhuleni Art Award Finalist in 2008
- “Top Student of the Year” Award at Artist Proof Studio in 2009
- Thami Mnyele Award, Semifinalist in 2009
- Thami Mnyele Award, Merit Award, Ekurhuleni Art on Paper in 2010
- Thami Mnyele top 10 in 2011
- Semifinalist in the ABSA Atelier top 100 in 2010 Finalist in the ABSA Atelier top 10 Awards in 2011 BRT Public
- Art competition in 2011
- ABSA Atelier Merit Awards in 2012
- Winner of the Absa Atelier Gerald Sekoto Award 2012 Arts and Culture Trust Award 2012
Commissions and Public Art
- Johannesburg Development Agency 2010 BRT Public Art Consortium in 2011
- Anglo American Gold Ashanti 2012
- BASA ( Business and Art South Africa ) in 2013 Springs
- Art Gallery art in 2013
- Ogilvy & Mather in 2013
Solo Exhibition’s in South Africa
- Khumbula Ekhaya ( home Sick) Gallery2 2013 Human
- Spirit Art Exhibition ABSA Gallery 2013
- Umlambo uzwiwa ngedondolo traveling exhibition, ABSA Gallery Johannesburg 2015
- Umlambo uzwiwa ngedondolo traveling exhibition, Port Elizabeth 2015
- Umlambo uzwiwa ngedondolo traveling exhibition, Durban 2015 Umlambo
- uzwiwa ngedondolo traveling exhibition, Cape Town 2015 Umlambo uzwiwa ngedondolo traveling exhibition, Pretoria 2015
- Image Copyright: Saki Zamaxaba 1
- Tales of Migration, Red Room art gallery 2017
- Freedom did not just come it was invited, Everard Read Circa Johannesburg 2018
- What Now, META foundation, 2020
- Slow down tiger, Everard Read, 2020
Selected local group exhibitions
- “Ekasi”, Spring Art Gallery in 2008
- “30/30”, Springs Art Gallery in 2009
- “Unfolding”, Artist Proof Studio in 2009
- “Seeking”, Artist Proof Studio in 2010
- “People and Spaces”, Gallery 2, Johannesburg in 2010
- Thami Mnyele Award exhibition at the Art Centre, Ekurhuleni in 2010
- FNB JHB Art Fair, Sandton Convention Centre, Sandton in 2011
- David Brown exhibition at Sandton Art Gallery in 2011
- Arts on Main Canteen, Arts on Main Gallery, Johannesburg in 2011
- Belledewar Advertising exhibition, Belle Dewar National offices, Sandton in 2011
- IStore Art exhibition at Apple Mac national offices, Sandton in 2011
- Gray Advertising exhibition in Sandton in 2011 “Sharon
- Sampson Studio exhibition at Illovo in 2011
- “Coming of Age” exhibition at Johannesburg art gallery with Artist Proof Studio in 2012
- “Coming of Age II ” exhibition at Gallery 2 2012
- FNB JHB Art Fair, Sandton Convention Centre, Sandton in 2012
- “Art child” exhibition at Design Indaba with Absa Gallery 2012
- “David Brown” exhibition at Sandton Art Gallery in 2012
- Guns and rains 2014
- Arts and Culture Trust 2014
- Turbine Art Fair 2015
- KKNK Absa, 2015
- Jazzuary art exhibition in collaboration with Khaya FM, RES gallery 2016
- Red Room Gallery, 2019
- “Staring straight into the Future”, Everard Read, 2020
International Solo Exhibitions
- International Group Exhibition in Abu Dhabi, Middle East in 2011 Khumbula
- Ekhaya ( home Sick) II, in Seychelles Kenyan House Gallery Umlambo
- uzwiwa ngedondolo, Botswana 2015
- Ubuntu Ngabantu, London ( UK) Jack Bell art gallery 2017
- Izikhali ze Mpilo (The Weapons of Life), Jack Bell, UK, 2018
- Umdlalo wamaphepha (‘Township Casino’), Jack Bell, UK, 2019
International Art Fairs
- 154 London Art Fair 2017
- 154 New York Art Fair 2018
- 154 London Art Fair AKAA
- Art Fair 2018
Biennales
Beijing Biennale 2015
Collections
- Pinpoint one Human resources
- PPC LTD
- Bidvest Group
- Johannesburg Development Agency
- Ukhozi FM
- Sasol Limited
- Rand Merchant Bank
- Artist Proof Studio
- Business and Art South Africa
- ABSA Bank
- Spier South Africa
- Sasol Corporate Collection in Mozambique
- Johannesburg Art Gallery
- Millennium Hotel in Abhu Dabi
- Khaya Fm
