Brazen pair snatch Hotstix portrait

The Sipho 'Hotstix' Mabuse portrait by Dennis Woest has been grabbed from an art gallery in Hillcrest, KwaZulu-Natal.

The Sipho 'Hotstix' Mabuse portrait by Dennis Woest has been grabbed from an art gallery in Hillcrest, KwaZulu-Natal.

Published Jan 31, 2016

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Durban - Legendary musician Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse was left disappointed after hearing that a painting of him had been stolen at the Longmynd Art Gallery in Hillcrest, KwaZulu-Natal, on Tuesday.

The painting by Dennis Woest was part of an exhibition In the Zone, which opened on December 4.

It was to be auctioned and proceedings donated to a charity organisation chosen by Mabuse.

“I heard that the painting was stolen and it was unbelievable that someone stole a painting, I was also disappointed at the same time because this was made for a good cause.

“The artist had approached my management last year to make the portrait and we liked the idea. I appeal to anyone who this might (have been) sold to, to bring it back because it was stolen,” said Mabuse.

Gallery owner Brian Goldie said men had entered the gallery and pretended to want to buy the painting.

“Two told the gallery manager that they were interesting in buying it. The manager took it down from the wall. The men were going to pay using a credit card, but when she (the manager) was processing the transaction, it failed so she tried a manual transaction.

“While she was busy with the one guy, the other one sneaked out with the painting. After it (the transaction) failed, the manager went back to put the painting on the wall but it was not there and the men had disappeared,” said Goldie.

Woest put the value of his Hotstix portrait work at R20 000.

“I (see) this as a compliment in a weird way. They obviously liked it and wanted it in a bad way. I had planned that proceeds of (the sale) would be given to charity,” said Woest.

“I’m passionate about South African artists and I’ve been making their portraits to keep the memory of them alive,” he added.

SAPS spokeswoman Lieutenant Nqobile Gwala said that no arrests had been made at this stage and the painting was still missing.

Sunday Tribune

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