LOT 60: Lloyd Maluleke | The smile of hope | 2023

Lloyd Maluleke, founder of Perspective Art Studios, explores absent parentage through a surprisingly whimsical and positive lens. Born in Limpopo and based in Johannesburg, his prints depict children who idolise their absent fathers, viewing them as heroes who left for the big city to provide. This perspective, shaped by his own mother?s optimistic framing of his father?s absence, is visually represented through bright yellow hardhats and shovels, symbolising the child?s imaginative idealisation. In contrast, Maluleke?s depictions of women shift towards realism, portraying them as the ones who shoulder the burdens of daily survival. The hardhat and shovel, once symbols of admiration, become emblems of the strength these women must embody?blurring the lines between masculine and feminine roles. Through his unexpected and nuanced approach, Maluleke redefines working-class realities, proving that a working-class hero is, indeed, something to be.