Jesus Walking on Water

This work takes a religious subject, portraying Christ in a typically colourful and cleverly composed sculptural piece. A staple of Maswanganyi’s work was carved portraiture, beginning with local and national traditional leaders.

As his fame grew, he began to branch out into more modern and complex studies, especially of religious and historical figures. This depiction of Jesus adopts a more composite, western style, which echoes the approach of Seoka. A major difference between the two artists is the fact that Maswanganyi took control of the distribution and selling of his own pieces without over-producing. 

Artwork courtesy of Sanlam Art Collection.