John Baloyi (1964-2006)

Biography

Born in 1964, John Baloyi (Shangaan) started carving in 1973. John’s inspiration was his grandfather who crafted traditional chairs and coffins. Because of financial circumstances, John left school at the end of Std 9, continued carving, but also had to supplement his income by working as a miner. Carving became a full time career twelve years ago, which was cut short by his untimely death in 2006.

Themes that John explored within his works ranged from Biblical themes to foreign animal species (kangaroos, dolphins, swordfish and camels). He believed that through depicting these species, he was aiding the development of rural education. John was also skilled as a potter, weaver and puppet maker.

John exhibited extensively and his works are housed in several corporate and private collections within:

Germany
England
Holland
Japan
Belgium
Australia
Botswana
South Africa

JOHN BALOYI (1964-2006)
By Stefanie Donau

One doesn’t expect to find kangaroos, dolphins, swordfish and camels in Venda. But they are there, in a small bush gallery with patterned cow-dung floors and muraled walls. This gallery belongs to John Baloyi and he is the one responsible for all these carvings of foreign animals.

John is a very industrious man, he started building his gallery a couple of months ago. The transformation from crude structure to functioning architecture has been an accomplishment for John. He mostly sits outside his house, in his open-air studio, surrounded by pieces of wood and carving tools.

He feels strongly about art surpassing education because it imparts experience and wisdom on a spiritual level. This is John’s main aim with his sculptural works, which deal with Biblical themes, rural life and strange animals. He wants to teach people, especially from the local community, about art and the meaning that specific pieces convey. John also wants more people to embrace the vocation of sculpting as a commercial form of employment.

He is a man passionate about art and what it represents to live the life of an artist. He feels strongly about instructing people in carving and is working on a concept of realizing a guesthouse to provide all people with a three day carving workshop and rural retreat.