Ben MACALA

1938 – 1997

Sculptures in bronze, terracotta or stone

Ben Macala 1989

with “Woman Praying” and “Leaning Head”

A brief C.V.

Benjamin Mzimkulu MACALA was born in Bloemfontein in 1938; he died in 1997.

To view his c.v. as at 1981, please click on this link!

Note

This webpage presents only a selection of Ben Macala’s sculptures, at the beginning of his career, his best period.

In early 1965 Maj. Aubrey Fielding from the Adler Fielding Galleries in Johannesburg suggested to Ben Macala who had brought in some of his drawings that he should try his hands at modeling. Thus, the first bronzes were cast and "The bull" was included in a show at the Piccadilly Gallery, London, in July 1965 (cat.36)!

Selected Exhibitions of SCULPTURES

1965 Piccadilly Gallery, Cork Street, London “African Painters & Sculptors from Johannesburg”  (15^th June to 10^th July), cat.36

1966 Adler Fielding Galleries, Johannesburg (3 man show:  Barry de Villiers, Ben Macala, Cousin Walaza) (13^th September)

1967 Adler Fielding Galleries, Johannesburg “Sculpture SA 1900-1967” cat. 59, 60, 61

1967 Lidchi Art Gallery, Johannesburg (1^st solo show of sculptures: terracotta + bronzes) (November)

1968 Lidchi Art Gallery, Johannesburg (Group Show) (3 bronzes + 8 conté drawings) (catalogue)

1969 Lidchi Art Gallery, Johannesburg (2^nd solo show: sculptures and drawings)

Selected Sculptures

Selected Public Collections

Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum (King George VI Art Gallery), Port Elizabeth

“Mother and Child” bronze – 35.5x30x28.5 cm

Presented by Volkswagen of SA, 1968 – acquired from Leader Gallery, Grahamstown

Selected Corporate Collections

South African Reserve Bank Art Collection, Cape Town

"The Night Watchman", undated – bronze - 26x32x21 cm

(Another cast auctioned by Stephan Welz & Co., Johannesburg - 3rd November, 1997 - Lot 477)

Selected Private Collections

Ben Macala in the Holdstock collections, UK + USA

Please click on this link for more details about these 24 sculptures!

 “Woman in bondage”, pre-1968 - bronze - 32.5x34x30 cm - signed – ex Private Coll. A.B.

This cast on auction at Stephan Welz & Co., Johannesburg, 30th August, 2016 - Lot 466

“Mother and Child” – bronze -  46x26x30 cm - not signed – three views - cast by Renzo Vignali, Pretoria - ex Private Coll A.B.

This cast on auction at Stephan Welz & Co., Johannesburg, 30th August, 2016 - Lot 467

“Head of a Young Woman” mid-1960s – bronze – unsigned – Coll. H.V. 2008

"Seated figure" - bronze 1/3 - 31 cm - ex Coll. 34 Long Gallery, Cape Town

Selected Sculptures sold on auction

“Figure Study”, clay, signed – 24.5 cm – sold by Russell Kaplan Auctioneers, Johannesburg – June 2015 – Lot P121

“Seated figure” bronze – 19x19x17 cm – sold by Strauss & Co., Johannesburg – 1^st November, 2010 – Lot 109

"Woman in Profile", carved stone, signed - 50x50 cm - sold by Stephan Welz & Co., Johannesburg - 30th July, 2007 - Lot 434

Selected Publications + Articles relating to his sculptures

The Star, Johannesburg – 14^th September, 1966 (“Mother and Child” illustrated)

ARTLOOK 12 Vol 1 No XII November, 1967 – p. 2, ill

ARTLOOK 32 July, 1969 – p. 7, ill

"The Neglected Tradition - Towards a New History of SA Art (1930-1988)" - Johannesburg Art Gallery - 1988/1989 (Steven Sack) – ill pp 55/6, cat 51+52 – ISBN0-620-13184-5

Northcliff & Melville Times, Johannesburg – 22^nd August, 1989, ill above ©

“Images of Metal” (Rankin) (Witwatersrand University Press), 1994 – ill p.31 fig.12 – ISBN 1-86814-257-4

Ben Macala at his studio

 “Images of Man - Contemporary South African Black Art and Artists” (E.J. de Jager) (Fort Hare University Press), 1992, listed p. 30 cat. 142 - ISBN 1-86810-015-4

“Figure – Ground: reflections on the South African Reserve Bank“ ( Rory Bester ) (SA Reserve Bank,  Pretoria), 2007 ill. p. 211 - ISBN 0-9585044-3-1 

Uploaded 11th August, 2016

Return to Home Page