Nico Phooko

painting ancestral spiritual jazz and traditional music live in the gallery on the opening night of my exhibition with musicians,dancers,artists,art enthusiats and art patrons.this is a common work shop that i would like to take to other parts of the globe with a variety of perfomers from different and foreign back rounds.

An article on my live on stage events and music painting concept coupled with the exhibition i was to stage painting live in the Galley(Alliance Francaise) with a Jazz band in Cape Town.September 2005

A coloum on my event live on Stage documentation concept.

Television interview,one of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (Spirits on Sunday) interview on my art music and dance incorporating concept and live painting,dj-ing,music and dance perfomance for the first time in the Gallery.2005

A picture featured in the Star Newspaper on the handing over the painter Nico painted live on stage at 'A Tribute to Samora Machel' .The painting was presented to the Machel's family and President Nelson Mandela.

1994: Jazz, Art and Poetry Recognition Award. Kwa – Thema, Springs
- Vista University Cultural Day Exhibition with Lucky Moema. Daveyton
- Madi Phala’s Emerging Artists Exhibition in the Yard. Kwa – Thema
- The Village Walk Visual Art and Performance Fair. Sandton Square
- Art now Gallery. Rosebank
- Watercolour Society. Parkview
- The African Affair – Group Exhibition. Sandton Square

1995: Art in De Yard. Yeoville
- Windybrow Art Festival, with Hannah Cantassi and Asante.
- Eight self Commissioned Murals. Yeoville

1998: Heritage Day Ar6t and Craft Festival. Yeoville

1999: The Houston International Festival. Houston Texas (USA)
- New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. New Orleans (USA)

2000: Winnie Madikizela Mandela’s 60th Birth Day. Pretoria

2001: Johannesburg Art Gallery. Group Exhibition. Gauteng
2002: Art in de Yard Stokvel: Judith’s Paarl. Gauteng
2003: ITC indaba Expo: Sandton Convention Centre. Gauteng.
2005: Design Indaba Expo. Cape Town International Convention Centre. Cape Town
- Avulekile Community Art Workshop. Good hope Castle. Cape Town.
- Cape Town Art Galley. Group Exhibition. Cape Town
- Alliance Francaise. Cape Town

1994: Jazz, Art and Poetry Recognition Award. Kwa – Thema, Springs
- Vista University Cultural Day Exhibition with Lucky Moema. Daveyton
- Madi Phala’s Emerging Artists Exhibition in the Yard. Kwa – Thema
- The Village Walk Visual Art and Performance Fair. Sandton Square
- Art now Gallery. Rosebank
- Watercolour Society. Parkview
- The African Affair – Group Exhibition. Sandton Square

1995: Art in De Yard. Yeoville
- Windybrow Art Festival, with Hannah Cantassi and Asante.
- Eight self Commissioned Murals. Yeoville

1998: Heritage Day Ar6t and Craft Festival. Yeoville

1999: The Houston International Festival. Houston Texas (USA)
- New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. New Orleans (USA)

2000: Winnie Madikizela Mandela’s 60th Birth Day. Pretoria

2001: Johannesburg Art Gallery. Group Exhibition. Gauteng
2002: Art in de Yard Stokvel: Judith’s Paarl. Gauteng
2003: ITC indaba Expo: Sandton Convention Centre. Gauteng.
2005: Design Indaba Expo. Cape Town International Convention Centre. Cape Town
- Avulekile Community Art Workshop. Good hope Castle. Cape Town.
- Cape Town Art Galley. Group Exhibition. Cape Town
- Alliance Francaise. Cape Town

Nico Phooko, South African artist, temps us with his visual mastery and command of a melody of sounds, witch colorfully leap’s at us off the canvas. He exploits various mediums including collage, acrylics oils, inks, and found objects.
He was inspired as a teenager by the works of prominent artists in his hometown. Nico took to art not only as a hobby by a noble career to flourish and nourish and upon an arty advice, he enrolled at the Bill Ainsle Found Private art College the Johannesburg Art Foundation where he studied for Graphic Design basics and a three year fine art Diploma course.

My works spring from my passion for music, the politics of challenging the lampooning the power of ancestral feasts that have been a part of my mother’s family life, the sensations of romantic engagements and the solace of domestic and social love, peace and harmony. “There are mysterious forces that prompt us all to found relief in music, the very powerful strength that accelerates the confidence of accepting that we are what we are because of the incomparable and the ordinary people who saw the earth prior to our life form. The ones who’s strength of mind will always have a special place in our lives. In view of the fact that we are not the end of human evolution. We are for that reason indebted to pass on to future generations’ sound aspirations of loving our immediate families, be in awe of our friends and value our neighbors and communities as a general rule”.

His commitment for the sustenance of African values, ethics and re-induction of meaningful traditional ways of life is evident in his approach to technique, he sometimes collage found objects with rusted nails, cow dung, grass, Hessian and an assortment of natural pigments .His use of rich and natural colors sing a grasping and flexible piece of music that remind us of a time and space known but not to date.