The Unfolding Man | Donve Langhan

Subtitle: The Life and Art of Dan Rakgoathe
Author: Donve Langhan
Publisher: David Philip, Publishers (2001)
ISBN-10: 0864863705
ISBN-13: 9780864863706
Condition: Very Good. Light wear to cover, edges and corners.
Binding: Softcover
Pages: 171
Dimensions: 23.9 x 18.0 x 0.9 cm
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by Donve Langhan
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As a graphic artist and a creative philosopher, Dan Rakgoathe has few equals in southern Africa. His primary medium is the linocut, and his work explores both personal and metaphysical themes. When Dan went blind in November 1989 it was a tragedy for him as a visual artist, dedicated to his profession in which his life and work were intimately interwoven.

However, going blind also marked a new spiritual beginning for him which continues to enrich his life. The story of Dan Rakgoathe's life is a story of suffering and a story of transcending that suffering as well as transcending the boundaries of race, culture and religion.

Dan's art mirrors the richness of his experience: primarily as a mystic philosopher, secondly as an African, and thirdly as a human being overwhelmed by personal loss. In Dan's linocuts the strong optic qualities of the contrasting black and white lines seem to evoke a sense of depth while simultaneously creating a decorative surface pattern.

The stylisation of forms, the sense of symmetry and the predominance of decorative elements in Dan's work express the inner rather than the outer world of human beings, consistent with his mystical and philosophical approach to life and art. Although Dan's work essentially nurtures the spirit, it also stimulates the mind.