b. Augsburg, Germany, 1939. Lives between Munich & Cape Town
Manfred Zylla uses drawing, painting and printmaking to produce biting commentaries on global politics, economy and ecology. Working between the political situations of Germany and South Africa, Zylla has historically challenged capitalist-driven processes that forcefully re-render peoples’ relation to their own land, history and culture.
Work created for various Handicap International campaigns
120 Days of Sodom, Manfred Zylla
Art & Resistance, Manfred Zylla
Online copy of 120 Days of Sodom – pdf (5.15MB)
Art Education
2023: ASAI Print Access Workshop, Michaelis School of Fine Art, Cape Town.
2018: ASAI Print Access Workshop, Michaelis School of Fine Art, Cape Town.
1959 - 1960: Mostly self taught, student with Prof. Butz at the Art Academy in Augsburg, Germany
1957 - 1960: Apprenticeship as a lithographer in Augsburg, Germany.
2018: ASAI Print Access Workshop, Michaelis School of Fine Art, Cape Town.
1959 - 1960: Mostly self taught, student with Prof. Butz at the Art Academy in Augsburg, Germany
1957 - 1960: Apprenticeship as a lithographer in Augsburg, Germany.
Exhibitions (solo)
2024: Manfred Zylla, Odyssey, Michaelis Galleries, University of Cape Town, Cape Town.
2017: Manfred Zylla: Fur Jeden Etwas, Erdmann Contemporary, Cape Town.
2014: Prints & Drawings 1960 - 1990, Lanz 7 Gallery, Munich, Germany.
2014: I want to Swim a Thousand Miles, Erdmann Contemporary, South Africa.
2013: 120 Days of Sodom, Munich, Germany.
2012: In Retrospect, Oliewenhuis Art Museum, Bloemfontein; William Humphreys Art Gallery, Kimberley; Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum, Gqeberha/Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
2010: Future Memories, Centro Luigi Di Sarro, Rome, Italy.
2010: Again and Again, Erdmann Contemporary, Cape Town. Future Memories, Centre Luigi Di Sarro, Rome.
2008: New Paintings, Erdmann Contemporary, Cape Town.
2008: Faces of Saron, Suidoosterfees, Artscape.
2008: Portraits, Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees, Oudtshoorn, South Africa.
2007: Faces of Vredendal, Artscape, Cape Town.
2005: Work on Paper, Erdmann contemporary, Cape Town.
2004: Gallery Momo, Johannesburg.
2003: Interim, Munich. Obz Cafe, CapeTown.
1993: Dritte Welt Cafe, Munich; Ecke Gallery Kneipe, Augsburg.
1992: Glokenbachwerkstatt, Munich.
1991: Art des Foyer, Munich.
1990: Association for Visual Arts, Cape Town.
1986: Amnesty International, Munich.
1980: South African Association of Art, Cape Town.
1978: Kleine Schlossgalerie, Munich.
1975: Space, Cape Town.
1966: Ecke Stuben, Augsburg, Germany.
1965: Obere Stube, Ulm, Germany.
2017: Manfred Zylla: Fur Jeden Etwas, Erdmann Contemporary, Cape Town.
2014: Prints & Drawings 1960 - 1990, Lanz 7 Gallery, Munich, Germany.
2014: I want to Swim a Thousand Miles, Erdmann Contemporary, South Africa.
2013: 120 Days of Sodom, Munich, Germany.
2012: In Retrospect, Oliewenhuis Art Museum, Bloemfontein; William Humphreys Art Gallery, Kimberley; Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum, Gqeberha/Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
2010: Future Memories, Centro Luigi Di Sarro, Rome, Italy.
2010: Again and Again, Erdmann Contemporary, Cape Town. Future Memories, Centre Luigi Di Sarro, Rome.
2008: New Paintings, Erdmann Contemporary, Cape Town.
2008: Faces of Saron, Suidoosterfees, Artscape.
2008: Portraits, Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees, Oudtshoorn, South Africa.
2007: Faces of Vredendal, Artscape, Cape Town.
2005: Work on Paper, Erdmann contemporary, Cape Town.
2004: Gallery Momo, Johannesburg.
2003: Interim, Munich. Obz Cafe, CapeTown.
1993: Dritte Welt Cafe, Munich; Ecke Gallery Kneipe, Augsburg.
1992: Glokenbachwerkstatt, Munich.
1991: Art des Foyer, Munich.
1990: Association for Visual Arts, Cape Town.
1986: Amnesty International, Munich.
1980: South African Association of Art, Cape Town.
1978: Kleine Schlossgalerie, Munich.
1975: Space, Cape Town.
1966: Ecke Stuben, Augsburg, Germany.
1965: Obere Stube, Ulm, Germany.
Group Exhibitions (South Africa)
2020: Cafe Ganesh, Observatory, Cape Town.
2018: Once when we were free, Erdmann Contemporary, Cape Town.
2016: Auf Wiedersehen is Not Good Bye, Erdmann Contemporary, Cape Town.
2016: Beyond Binaries, Essence Festival, Durban.
2015: Co-Existence part II – Manfred Zylla, Garth Erasmus and Antonin Mares, Erdmann Contemporary, Cape Town (Click here for opening remarks).
2015: Cape Town Art Fair, Cape Town.
2015: Breaking Surface, Galerie NOKO, Port Elizabeth.
2015: The Industrial Karoo - Fear and Loss, Pretoria Art Museum, Pretoria.
2014: The Industrial Karoo - Fear and Loss, Oliewenhuis Art Museum, Bloemfontein.
2014: The Trouble With Memory, Erdmann Contemporary, Cape Town.
2013: Crossing the Divide, ErdmannContemporary, Cape Town, South Africa
2013: Re-Drawn Conclusion, ErdmannContemporary, Cape Town
2008: Painful Earth, Gallery Momo, Johannesburg.
2007: Artseasons, Franchhoek.
2007: Riempie Vasmaak (with Garth Erasmus & Roderick Sauls), Erdmann Contemporary, Cape Town.
1985: Art for Peace, Baxter Theatre Gallery (organised by End Conscription Campaign).
1984 (With Paul Grendon), South African Association of Art, Cape Town.
1980: Biennale, Cape Town.
2018: Once when we were free, Erdmann Contemporary, Cape Town.
2016: Auf Wiedersehen is Not Good Bye, Erdmann Contemporary, Cape Town.
2016: Beyond Binaries, Essence Festival, Durban.
2015: Co-Existence part II – Manfred Zylla, Garth Erasmus and Antonin Mares, Erdmann Contemporary, Cape Town (Click here for opening remarks).
2015: Cape Town Art Fair, Cape Town.
2015: Breaking Surface, Galerie NOKO, Port Elizabeth.
2015: The Industrial Karoo - Fear and Loss, Pretoria Art Museum, Pretoria.
2014: The Industrial Karoo - Fear and Loss, Oliewenhuis Art Museum, Bloemfontein.
2014: The Trouble With Memory, Erdmann Contemporary, Cape Town.
2013: Crossing the Divide, ErdmannContemporary, Cape Town, South Africa
2013: Re-Drawn Conclusion, ErdmannContemporary, Cape Town
2008: Painful Earth, Gallery Momo, Johannesburg.
2007: Artseasons, Franchhoek.
2007: Riempie Vasmaak (with Garth Erasmus & Roderick Sauls), Erdmann Contemporary, Cape Town.
1985: Art for Peace, Baxter Theatre Gallery (organised by End Conscription Campaign).
1984 (With Paul Grendon), South African Association of Art, Cape Town.
1980: Biennale, Cape Town.
Group Exhibitions (International)
2015: Beijing Biennale, Beijing, China.
2014: The Secret Garden, Museo di Villa Vecchia, Rome, Italy.
2014: Twenty: Contemporary South African Art, The Appalachian State University, North Carolina, USA.
2013: Zylla & Erasmus, EineWeltHaus, Munich, Germany.
2009: (with Garth Erasmus) Fernwarme Kapstadt, BBK Ulm, Germany. Havanna Biennale, Cuba.
1997 - 2000: Various exhibitions with Handicap International in Munich, Berlin and Augsburg. Designed the Handicap Bus Exhibitions with Sans Papiers.
1993: Art Against Racism, Dritte Welt Cafe, Munich.
1989: South African Anti-Apartheid Festival, Amsterdam.
1987: South African Conference on Literature, Bad Boll, Germany.
1986: 120 Hours Action, Kunstakademie, Munich.
1983: Krieg und Frieden, Bremen, Germany.
1982: Culture and Resistance, Gaberone, Botswana.
1965: Anti-Vietnam War, travelling exhibition through Germany (organised by Workers Union).
1964: Socialistic Realism (from West and East Germany), Augsburg, Germany.
1961: Junge Westen, Recklinghausen, Germany.
1960 - 1962: Spring and Autumn Exhibition, Artists’ Union, Augsburg, Germany.
2014: The Secret Garden, Museo di Villa Vecchia, Rome, Italy.
2014: Twenty: Contemporary South African Art, The Appalachian State University, North Carolina, USA.
2013: Zylla & Erasmus, EineWeltHaus, Munich, Germany.
2009: (with Garth Erasmus) Fernwarme Kapstadt, BBK Ulm, Germany. Havanna Biennale, Cuba.
1997 - 2000: Various exhibitions with Handicap International in Munich, Berlin and Augsburg. Designed the Handicap Bus Exhibitions with Sans Papiers.
1993: Art Against Racism, Dritte Welt Cafe, Munich.
1989: South African Anti-Apartheid Festival, Amsterdam.
1987: South African Conference on Literature, Bad Boll, Germany.
1986: 120 Hours Action, Kunstakademie, Munich.
1983: Krieg und Frieden, Bremen, Germany.
1982: Culture and Resistance, Gaberone, Botswana.
1965: Anti-Vietnam War, travelling exhibition through Germany (organised by Workers Union).
1964: Socialistic Realism (from West and East Germany), Augsburg, Germany.
1961: Junge Westen, Recklinghausen, Germany.
1960 - 1962: Spring and Autumn Exhibition, Artists’ Union, Augsburg, Germany.
Actions
2010: As Is (with Garth Erasmus, Roderick Sauls and Niklas Zimmer), Breytenbachsentrum, Wellington.
2002: (With Charles Bhebe) Mural at Eine Welt Haus, Muenchen. Revised in 2009 (with Garth Erasmus).Numerous performances as a musician.
2002: Voices in Transit, drawings of refugees at Cape Town train station for Cape Town Festival.
1992: Stand Up For Tolerance, billboard action paintings, Muenchen.
1991: Ozone, billboard action paintings, Muenchen.
1990: Puzzle Action (organised by South African Scholarship Fund), Tuebingen, Germany.
1982: Interaction, CAP, Cape Town.Other experience
1961 - 1970: Worked as a lithographer in various parts of Germany, landscape painter and print maker, mainly in the medium of wood.
1974 - 1985: Worked as a lithographer and educator at Hirt and Carter in Cape Town.
1981 - 1986: Teacher and organizer at the Community Arts Project, Cape Town.
1981 - 1984 Taught photographic image in print making at Michaelis School of Fine Art.
2002: (With Charles Bhebe) Mural at Eine Welt Haus, Muenchen. Revised in 2009 (with Garth Erasmus).Numerous performances as a musician.
2002: Voices in Transit, drawings of refugees at Cape Town train station for Cape Town Festival.
1992: Stand Up For Tolerance, billboard action paintings, Muenchen.
1991: Ozone, billboard action paintings, Muenchen.
1990: Puzzle Action (organised by South African Scholarship Fund), Tuebingen, Germany.
1982: Interaction, CAP, Cape Town.Other experience
1961 - 1970: Worked as a lithographer in various parts of Germany, landscape painter and print maker, mainly in the medium of wood.
1974 - 1985: Worked as a lithographer and educator at Hirt and Carter in Cape Town.
1981 - 1986: Teacher and organizer at the Community Arts Project, Cape Town.
1981 - 1984 Taught photographic image in print making at Michaelis School of Fine Art.
Publications (Books, newspapers, journals)
2009: "Manfred Zylla, Interaction," Critical Interventions: Journal of African art history and visual culture, numbers 3/4 Spring: pp. 206-222.
1989: Sue Williamson, Resistance Art in South Africa (Cape Town: David Philip).
1988: G. Ogilvie, The Dictionary of South African Painters and Sculptors (Johannesburg: Everard Read). Staffrider, Contrast, Cape Times, Weekly Mail, ADA, Varsity, Vula, Tendenzen, Zeitschrift fuer Kulturaustauch Dritte Welt (IKA), Anti-Imperialistic Bulletin (Germany), The Guardian (New York), Tri-Quarterly (USA). Collections Iziko SANG, Oliewenhuis Art Museum, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum, Bredasdorp Municipal Collection, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Archiv, Augsburg, Germany; University of Botswana, Botswana.
1989: Sue Williamson, Resistance Art in South Africa (Cape Town: David Philip).
1988: G. Ogilvie, The Dictionary of South African Painters and Sculptors (Johannesburg: Everard Read). Staffrider, Contrast, Cape Times, Weekly Mail, ADA, Varsity, Vula, Tendenzen, Zeitschrift fuer Kulturaustauch Dritte Welt (IKA), Anti-Imperialistic Bulletin (Germany), The Guardian (New York), Tri-Quarterly (USA). Collections Iziko SANG, Oliewenhuis Art Museum, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum, Bredasdorp Municipal Collection, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Archiv, Augsburg, Germany; University of Botswana, Botswana.
Private Collections
England, Switzerland, Germany, America, South Africa.
