Malope Stones - 1969 – MALAWI to 2003 – JOHANNESBURG

African Dusk

Baobab Tree

Wild Life

Buffalo

CHIRWA MALOPE
(‘STONES’)
BORN 1969 – MALAWI  to 2003 – JOHANNESBURG

‘Stones’ learnt the basics of drawing and painting from his father who was an art teacher and freelance artist. From an ordinary rural village life and primary school, Stones attended Art School in Lilongwe – capital of Malawi, for two years.

By this time Stones had established his style using watercolour and surprisingly tight formalized compositions, which showed the symmetry he feels always attends nature and life in Africa. Bird formations, palm trees, Baobabs, huts, canoes and of course his beloved boulders and rocks – all co-exist in perfect order in the scheme of life in the bush. As an accomplished watercolourist, Stones is able to draw with his brush to create that fluidity of application of colour in all his works.

How did the nickname ‘Stones’ stick? One of his earlier jobs, prior to earning his living solely from painting, involved traffic counting for the Malawian roads department. How do you do this? Simple, you have two tins – one for traffic going from left to right and the other for traffic going from the right to left. Every time a car passed, a stone was dropped into the appropriate can. At the end of the shift, one merely counted the amount of stones collected in each can to find out the traffic flow. Not surprisingly, Stones hated the job and became bored! – He started painting on the job and got fired.

Malawi Road Department’s loss was to be the Art worlds gain – it’s been a long and winding road…. etc.

At the time of Stone’s tragic and sudden death in July of 2003, he was supporting an extended family of 14. It is an African Tragedy played out everyday that talent and promise were never to receive their true reward in recognition and status.

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