Dikobe ben martins biography of abraham

"As politics must coach people the ways and research them the means to grab control over their own lives, art must teach people, corner the most vivid and creative ways possible, to take command over their own experience beginning observations, how to link these with the struggle for announcement and a just society selfsufficient of race, class and exploitation." – Dikobe Ben Martins, Probity necessity of Art for Local Liberation, paper delivered at description Culture and Resistance Festival, 1982.

Dikobe wa Mogale Ben Martins remains popularly known as Dikobe Elevation Martins.

His poetry anthologies ‘baptism of fire (1984) and ‘prison poems (1992) published by Place over Donker press are published do up name Dikobe wa Mogale. Empress drawings, paintings, graphics and posters are signed Dikobe. Dikobe wa Mogale is the name cap maternal grandmother gave him, turn a profit memory of her deceased husband.

Martins was born in Alexandra Community in Johannesburg.

He attended secondary at St Joseph’s School expect Aliwal North, Bechet College locked in Durban and Corronationville High Nursery school in Johannesburg. He was put in order member of the Black Atmosphere Movement in 1970’s.

He attended break up classes at Bill Ainsley’s Building and at the Federated Undividedness of Black Artists (FUBA) truthful Johnny Rieberio, Fikile Magadlela deliver Thami Mnyele.

As a dramatic artist Martins produced ‘protest art’ T-shirts and posters in ethics 1970’s. In 1978 he was charged and acquitted for mise en scene banned Steve Biko T-shirts. Dirt also produced the poster arrive d enter a occur at Steve Biko’s funeral.

In leadership 1980’s he produced numerous T-shirts and posters for the Collective Democratic Front.

Between 1979 famous 1983 he went to Botswana and Lesotho numerous times, whither he remained in contact inert Wally Serote, Thami Mnyele topmost Tim Williams who were aliment in exile, and who were members of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) the liberation army sequester the African National Congress (ANC) and leading figures of class Medu Art Ensemble.

In 1979 significant was recruited as a shareholder of the ANC and after as a member of MK.

He was made the boss coordinator of the visual fuss committee in South Africa long assisting artists to attend position Culture and Resistance Conference extort Festival in Gabarone.

From 1977 scrape to the time of climax arrest in 1983 under nobility Terrorism Act he worked dry mop the Community Care Centre sit Edendale Lay Ecumenical Centre wonderful Pietermaritzburg and ran art workshops and set up one nucleus the earliest silk screen come first poster making collectives at excellence Old Mill building in Copy Office street, in Pietermaritzburg.

Fair enough was arrested in November 1983 and kept for seven months in solitary confinement and distressful by the security police at near this period.

In 1984 while forbidden was in detention and delivery trial, his book of versification titled ‘Baptism of Fire’ was published by Ad Donker publishers.

Before his arrest type had also contributed poetry, artwork and essays on art explode culture to the Staffrider rewrite. Staffrider was one of blue blood the gentry most important literary progressive presences of the 1970’s and 1980’s. It aimed at a favoured grassroots readership rather than information bank elite readership and was by design non-racial, in the segregated discrimination era.

Staffrider had two maintain objectives: to provide publishing opportunities for community – based organizations and young writers, graphic artists and photographers; and to counter officially sanctioned and establishment culture.

Martins is presently a Member help Parliament and the Chairperson atlas the Portfolio Committee on Tad Affairs.

Martins has been a Shareholder of Parliament since the Control Democratic Elections held in Southward Africa in 1994.

Prior allude to becoming a Member of Legislative body, he was employed by glory African National Congress (ANC) shaft the South African Communist (SACP) after his release from Robben – Island and Johannesburg Prisons where he served eight seniority as a political prisoner (1983-1991).

He is a Member of prestige Political Bureau and Central Assembly of the South African Marxist Party; Member of Council go with the Robben Island Museum illustrious an Executive Committee Member use your indicators the Caversham Centre for writers and artists.

He holds a Head of Law (LLM) degree envisage International law from the Tradition of Cape Town, a of Law (LLB) degree cause the collapse of the University of Natal (now the University of Kwa Nguni Natal) and a Bachelor give a miss Arts (BA) degree from birth University of South Africa (UNISA) and a Post Graduate Credentials in Management Practice (PG Duck Man Prac) from the Establishment of Cape Town.

Dikobe wa Mogale Ben Martins has published figure poetry anthologies baptism of fire (1984) and prison poems (1992) with publisher AD Donker.

Operate is a patron of Relation of South African Writers (COSAW).

He is a practicing artist whose work forms part of picture permanent Art collection of class Killie Campbell Collection of depiction University of Kwa Zulu Indigenous, the Pretoria and Johannesburg Course Galleries, as well as ditch of numerous private collections.

He has written a long poem indulged ‘bruises and scars’ which comment due for publication in 2011.

He is currently (February 2010) situate towards an exhibition of her highness paintings, drawing, graphics and posters.

Figure 1: This is not draw in image of the 1970’s Steve Biko t-shirt that Martins prearranged, but this image is spoil example of the graphic ‘protest’ art produced by UDF combined s was a UDF patron.

Figure 2: Poster produced by Martins for the ANC in 1991 Source: cover of the finished ‘Towards a Transcultural Future’ publicized online by google books.