Lefifi Tladi

Lefifi Tladi (born 4 January 1949) is a South African painter, poet, sculptor and musician. As a member of the black consciousness movement he was exiled from South Africa in 1976. He lived in exile, primarily in Stockholm, Sweden, until the abolition of apartheid, and in 1997 returned to South Africa for the first time in over 20 years.

Biography Lefifi Tladi was born in 1949 in the township of Lady Selborne, Pretoria, South Africa. His involvement in the cultural world started in 1966 when he co-founded a youth club known as De-Olympia in the township of Ga-Rankuwa, north-west of Pretoria. The club hosted workshops, recited poetry, dance and music. The group subsequently formed a jazz band, Malombo Jazz Messengers, later renamed Dashiki. During the 1970s Lefifi started to get more involved in the Black Consciousness Movement via its cultural events where he performed with Dashiki. Dashiki also became regulars at the United States Embassy's jazz appreciation sessions under the management of Geoff Matlherane Mphakathi. They also organized numerous Black art exhibitions and workshops at some of the major Black universities and schools. This was in response to the "Bantu Educations" discouragement of Black people's creativity. After being active for three years the apartheid authorities forced the museum to close down in 1974. While in Botswana he and fellow artists established the Tuka Cultural Unit, a cultural formation meant for organizing group exhibitions as well as sustaining working relations with artists in South Africa. In 1977, they took part in the month-long event, Festac '77 – the pan-African international festival of arts and culture in Lagos, Nigeria.

In 1997, Lefifi returned to South Africa for the first time following the abolishment of Apartheid.

In 2005, filmmaker Aryan Kaganof made the documentary "Giant Steps" about the life of Lefifi Tladi along with South African poets Lesego Rampolokeng, Kgafela oa Magogodi, Afurakan, Mac Manaka.

Since 2016, he lives in Stockholm full time and continues to exhibit and host poetry and art workshops. He is passionate about education and is involved with various art education projects in South Africa from a distance. "Lättare än Maskros" at SAAB Art Gallery, Terrassen, Linköping, Sweden - 2018