Obituary: Sizakele Patience Fakude
"Yet another blow to the Visual Arts fraternity!" duly laments Frank Ledimo, national convenor of the Vansa Interim Steering Committee and head of the Wits Art Galleries. Shortly following the untimely passing of Nhlanhla Xaba, the South African artworld has learnt that Sizakele Fakude passed away after a short illness.
Sizakele Patience Fakude, more affectionately known as Siza and Zozo, started her schooling at Vuyo Primary School in Meadowlands, completing her high school education at Pace Commercial College, also in Soweto. Fakude did her formal art training at Funda Community College, where she specialised in printmaking. She also completed a Graphic Design & Desk Top Publishing (DTP) Diploma at Damelin College and Horizon Computer School, and received further art training at the Artist Proof Studio, in Newtown.
Professionally Fakude worked for numerous institutions as a DTP operator, including stints with COSATU, NEHAWU and Elle magazine, before she moved on to work as an Art Exhibition Officer at Standard Bank Art Gallery. It was here that she worked with children, running a children's art workshop, thereby fulfilling an aspect of her career that she enjoyed most.
Fakude's artwork itself is a celebration of African women and life, her abstract and semi-realistic images reflecting dancers and women in rural scenes. She exhibited widely throughout South Africa, and was commissioned to do murals at Chris Hani Bara Hospital. Commenting on her passing, Frank Ledimo eulogised Fakude as "one of the daughters of South Africa's visual arts community... a silent cultural worker, preferring to most often be in background."
Sizakele Patience Fakude; born on June 23, 1974; passed away after a short illness on April 4 2003.
