THEMBA "DREDA" MALAZA
Themba “Dreda” Malaza is one of Johannesburg’s pioneer Graffiti Artists, a member of the international Hip-Hop movement known as the XMEN WORLDWIDE, Boom Skwad, Mzantsi Street Exhibits and Wearable Creative Centre organisations.
Dreda has produced murals throughout South Africa for Government Departments and the Corporate World. Simultaneously, he was involved in numerous exhibitions, workshops, master classes and especially focused on community-building projects. As he is highly interested in ‘Artivism’.
In 2012, he and a group of friends founded Tabalaza Art Fair whilst employed as a freelance artist by Kwela X-press and KG Group producing cartoons. Tabalaza was a do-for-self gallery space where monthly events were held due to limits in the fine art industry. His work has also been featured in various art books namely, Graffiti South Africa and, more recently, Street Art Africa by Cale Waccador and World Piecebook by Dave “Chino” Villorente who was the graffiti editor of the United States-based The Source magazine.
Dreda, along with his Wearable Creative Centre organisation host School Holiday Programs, where he sometimes teaches children the art of graffiti free of charge. He has painted alongside South Africa’s best graffiti artists at the Meeting of Styles and the City of Gold events which are both internationally renowned. Simultaneously, exhibiting his artworks at Grayscale Store, the longest standing graffiti supplies store in Johannesburg. Dreda has won numerous art competitions, namely the Redbull Skate Park around 2001 and Brainstorm Magazine calendar competition in 2008. One of his artworks was awarded the best advertising campaign at Chilli Bush advertising, as well as a Best Billboard Award for Cell-C. Dreda has also been recently honored at the SA Hiphop Hall of Fame.
Dreda currently does numerous jobs one of them being a sign writer and logo designer for business owners who are based in and around his township, Soweto. He is also preparing for a number of projects, one of them being an exhibition at Grayscale Gallery.
NO JACKET REQUIRED
Themba “Dreda” Malaza is one of Johannesburg’s pioneer Graffiti Artists, a member of the international Hip-Hop movement known as the XMEN WORLDWIDE, Boom Skwad, Mzantsi Street Exhibits and Wearable Creative Centre organisations.
Dreda has produced murals throughout South Africa with a focus on community building and artivism.
Themba has been working on Denim since 2000 and his deep connection with Hip Hop style and principles has kept him pushing the movement forward and inspiring countless younger artists in Soweto and Johannesburg as a whole.
‘ No Jacket Required ‘ is an introduction into customized graffiti on denim. This is the first time there has been an entire exhibition dedicated to the customizing of denim in Johannesburg, with the goal of showing the viewers that this really can be a real work of art and is a showpiece in almost any environment, from wearing it on your back to hanging it in your home.
The title of the exhibition, ‘ No Jacket Required’ is a reference to the 1985 Phil Collins album with the same name which had influenced a TV series also title ‘No Jacket Required’ where Dreda was exposed to various musicians and artists. This was a big part in getting Dreda so involved in Hip Hop.
It also refers to the old club scene requiring one to wear a jacket and smart clothes to enter, which excluded a lot of people. This created a culture of people who stood against this rule and thus ‘No Jacket Required’ has become a symbol of being oneself and expressing ones own style without fear of acceptance from societies rules and regulations.
Graffiti has transcended all boundaries and fashion is certainly not excluded from that.
This collection of denim panels, jackets and other artworks is a culmination of years of work from Themba, and is a real landmark in South African graffiti and Hip Hop culture.
