Painter : Virginia Xaba

Virginia Xaba was born on the 28th January 1975, in Winterton. Virginia attended the School in Winterton for 2 years, then MountainView School for 3 years, then onto Kimjwayili School for 2 years, and finally onto Meadow Sweet School for 3 years. Virginia has 5 children, and is not married. 

Virginia lived on the neighbouring farm of Mr and Mrs Lemmer. Virginia started painting at Ardmore Studio in 1992.  Virginia had heard about Ardmore through Fee Halsted-Berning, when Fee met Virginia on the road, coming from School, and Fee had then offered to show her the Studio, and it’s art. Bonnie Ntshalintshali and Sindi Ntshalintshali  started teaching Virginia how to sculpt and how to paint.  Virginia left sculpting to paint.

Virginia’s favourite animal to paint is the Leopard, she enjoys painting them in motion,  and she enjoys painting dishes and bowls, as they are more like canvases.  Virginia is a true painter, she paints realistically.  Her exceptional drawing can be witnessed in her animals and plants.  Her colours are subtly and painstakingly worked and feathers, scales and every part is lovingly worked.  Virginia shades her drawings, they are not flat, graphic designs.

“I always wish to see my work improving more than before, I like to improve every day,and I wish myself a better life”.

Exhibitions:

• 1992 – 1997
  •  Gallery on Tyrone, Johannesburg
    
• 1993     
  • RAU Regional Ceramic Exhibition, Johannesburg
    
•  1994     
  • NSA Exhibition, Durban
• 1997
  • Meklenberg, Groote Schuur, Cape Town
  • State President’s Guest House, Bryntirion Estate, Pretoria
    
  • Catalyst Gallery,  Johannesburg
• 1998
  • Exhibition SA Embassy Residence, Bonn,  Germany
  • Marl Concert Hall,  Marl, Germany
    
  • Exhibition Essen,  Germany
    
  • Exhibition Siegen, Germany
    
  • Thyssen Forum,  Dusseldorf,  Germany
    
  • Everard Reid Gallery and Launch of the book
    
  • Ardmore an African Discovery.  Johannesburg
• 1999
  • Labia,  Muizenburg, Cape Town
  • Bordeaux St Gallery,  Franchshoek, Cape Town.
    
  • Gallery on Tyrone,  Johannesburg
• 2000   
  • Absa Bank,  Johannesburg
• 2001   
  • International Ceramics Festival, Wales
  • Hospice Exhibition,  Johannesburg
    
  • S.A. Embassy Exhibition, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
    
• 2002      
  • Charles Greig Jewellers, Johannesburg
    
• 2003      
  • Christies Exhibition, London
    
• 2004      
  • Christies Auction, London
    
  • City Arts Council, Edinburgh, Scotland
    
• 2005       
  • “Highveld” Private Exhibition of High Commissioner, Lindiwe Mbusa, London.     

Publications

• 1998
  
  • Ardmore an African Discovery,  Fernwood Press,  Cape Town.