Staff Profile
Staff Profile
Room: K104-B - Email: johannav@vut.ac.za
Dr. Hanlie van Staden
HOD (Visual Arts and Design)
Room: K105-1 - Email: patriciam@vut.ac.za
Ms. Patricia Moolman
Administrator (VAD)
Room: M205 - Email: le-nikas@vut.ac.za
Ms. Le-Nika Strydom
Lecturer (Fashion)
Room: K106-3 - Email: zaneler@vut.ac.za
Teaching activities: 3 Dimensional Studies: Ceramics (1st year), Product Design and Tech (1st & 2nd year), and Art Theory & Visual Studies (1st & 2nd year).
Research interests: Her research interests lie in the fields of gender studies and cultural studies mainly on black women in visual arts or cultural industry and related fields of study. Radebe received her M-Tech in Fine Art at Vaal University of Technology (2019). Her M Tech research project deals with an exploration of black women’s diverse hairstyles through art. She also co-authored an article titled: Exploring alternative views on the Western miniskirt and isigcebhezana in the patriarchal Zulu culture of South Africa, Gender and Behaviour, Volume 14 Number 3, Dec 2016, p. 7733 – 7763.
Supervision interests: She is interested in supervising students with interests in feminist art studies, visual studies and cultural studies in visual arts and related field of study.
Community engagement: Radebe has participated in arts community engagement projects at Thabo Vuyo Resource Centre, Kwa-Thema Skills School, Tshepana Primary School amongst others.
Creative projects: Practice based research on the theme one size fits all: miniskirts paper doll drawings. Her practice based research involves writing about the arts and the making of both two- and three-dimensional artistic work
Ms. Zanele Radebe
Lecturer (Fine Art)
Room: K002-2 - Email: mavisr@vutcloud.onmicrosoft.com
Teaching activities: Lebohang lectures three-dimensional studies in sculpture and Art management in the Fine art section and is also the first year Fine art coordinator. Her other practical fields teaching experience include Printmaking and multimedia. She has also taught communication skills and English as a foreign language to adults with a TEFL certificate obtained from UNISA.
Research interests: Her research field includes Indigenous knowledge systems, cultural and traditional practices in Africa in the context of visual arts and related fields.
Supervision interests: Indigenous knowledge systems and cultural studies in visual arts and related fields.
Community engagement: She is part of an NGO which is based in the Emfuleni region. She renders volunteer work which includes grooming young children who have artistic skills and showing interest in the field of art.
Creative projects: Lebohang has taken part in the 2013 Thami Mnyele Awards obtaining a certificate in the Sculpture category. She has also taken part as production manager and continuity personnel in various films which have been screened on local South African channels. She has also taken part as a researcher in the filming of The Boipatong Massacre and Thokoza shooting documentaries.
Ms. Lebohang Radebe
Lecturer (Fine Art)
Room: M202 - Email: ilani@vut.ac.za
Teaching activities: Ilani has been lecturing at VUT for 27 years and currently lectures the 3rd year Fashion students in Garment Construction and Pattern Technology within the Department of Fashion.
Research interests: Her research interests lay within various aspects related to the field of fashion, but more specifically, she expresses and interest in fashion SMME development.
Supervision interests: Ilani serves as co-supervisor to MTech students completing their degree in Fashion. Her focus area includes small business development within the fashion industry.
Community engagement: She enjoys being part of the departmental community outreaches.
Creative projects: Ilani is very creative and enjoys sewing in her free time. As she loves a challenge, she thoroughly enjoys competing in sewing-related competitions.
Ms. Ilani Wilken
Lecturer (Fashion)
Room: K002-1 - Email: dinkwenyanap@vut.ac.za
Mr. Malcom Phafane
Junior Lecturer (Photography)
Room: M206 - Email: arrie@vut.ac.za
Teaching activities: Arrie teaches at 1st, 2nd & 3rd year levels for the Diploma Fashion Design, which is a three-year full time course offered by the Department Visual Arts & Design in the Faculty of Human Sciences at the Vaal University of Technology.
Research interests: Fashion Entrepreneurship here.
Supervision interests: Co-supervisor for a MTECH: Fashion Design student
Community engagement: Engaged in the Department’s community project
Creative projects: Oil and Watercolour paintings as well as Contè & mixed medium drawings.
Mr. Arrie Van Wyk
Lecturer (Fashion)
Room: K302B - Email: therese@vut.ac.za
Teaching activities: Therese teach fashion design subject for first, second, and third year students. She also teaches the BTech students.
Research interests: The aesthetic expression in a certain time and context, especially in clothing and accessories, as well as use fashion to create Artwear or “art to wear”.
Community engagement: From time to time do workshops with the community
Creative projects: Site specific fashion exhibition, This place exhibition and works for group exhibitions
Ms. Therese Scholtz
Lecturer (Fashion)
Room: M203-1 - Email: mmabatho@vut.ac.za
Ms. Mmabatho Shibambo
Technician (Fashion)
Room: K309 - Email: mashaole@vut.ac.za
Teaching activities: Digital imaging, digital storytelling, animation, visual design, video and film, Art Theory and Visual studies. Other responsibilities include curriculum development, among others.
Research interests: Visual arts, digital arts, animation, multimedia, film, liberation history or memory studies, in the context of African centred perspective.
Supervision interests: Animation studies, film and memory/history, Afrocentric/postcolonial studies, IKS and Visual studies, art and technology.
Community engagement: Training and skills transfer, mentor and directed idea generation in visual creative projects.
Creative projects: moving pictures (animation, film, music video, promotional video), cartoons.
Mr. Mashaole Makwena
Senior Lecturer (Fine Art)
Room: K308 - Email: velphim@vut.ac.za
Teaching activities: My aim is to help students understand their role as artists in society. I encourage them use their personal experiences, discover themselves, ask what is important and foster in them an excitement and enthusiasm to pursue their own answers.
Research interests: Art and Education, ethnicity and identity, the theory and practice of art/practice led/practice based research
Supervision interests: Art and Education, ethnicity and identity, the theory and practice of art/practice led/practice based research
Community engagement: Working with different communities on art-based projects, teaching art to schools not offering the subject.
Mr. Velaphi Mazhinye
Lecturer (Fine Art)
Room: K109B - Email: nkululeko@vut.ac.za
Ms. Nkululeko Khumalo
Lecturer (Fine Art)
Room: K209-B - Email: matshepom@vut.ac.za
Teaching activities: Matshepo teaches drawing 1-4, Art theory 1, Art management 3 as well as Art Theory 4.
Research interests: are in using positive imagery to represent black people through portraiture in a practice-based research. She uses black feminism as her critical theory. She is currently exploring multi or inter disciplinary study which integrates art and business.
Supervision interests: Her interests are in the black study and practice-based research.
Community engagement: Matshepo has been an adjudicator for Rotary art competition, painted murals for the disadvantaged homes as well, she was part of the Ramasukula High school project as well asArt for AIDS (Institutional HIV/AIDS UNIT VUT) project.
Creative projects: Ms Thibudi is also a practising artist. She enters competitions also exhibits her work.
Ms. Matshepo Thibudi
Lecturer (Fine Art)
Room: K106-4 - Email: shintshile@vut.ac.za
Ms. Shintshile Ngcobo
Technician (Fine Art)
Room: K316-2 - Email: johannesk@vut.ac.za
Teaching activities: Neston teaches Drawing for Design 1, Entrepreneurship for Design 1, Graphic Processes 1, Entrepreneurship for Design 2, and shares Visual Communication Modules throughout the year ranging from first year to third year level.
Research interests: Neston’s research interests include Practice-led Research, Research-led Practice, Queer theory, and Gender studies.
Community engagement: Neston was a part of the Ramosukula School project where he and his colleagues taught entrepreneurial skills to the learners of the school in 2018.
Creative projects: Neston is currently busy working on a creative body of work exploring the concept of cancer as a malignant behaviour pattern within the Queer community. He was a part of Barclays L’Atelier Art competition in 2015 and made it to the Regional exhibition held in Johannesburg. In 2017 he was a part of the international art competition hosted by SeeMe and ChaShaMa Gallery in New York where he made it as one of the top 10 finalists. He is also a part of the gallery committee for the Bodudu Art Gallery at The Vaal University of Technology.
Mr. Johannes Kotze
Lecturer (Graphic Design)
Room: K306 - Email: leighjeanne@vut.ac.za
Having gained 10 years’ experience in the advertising industry she decided to pursue a career in teaching and joined the Vaal University of Technology in 2003. At VUT in 2005, She completed a BTech degree: Graphic Design cum laude and received an academic honours award in 2006. In 2008 and 2012 she received ‘Highest Award’ for the institutions annual RATE (Rectors Award for Teaching Excellence) Award. Leigh-Jeanne has served on many marketing and curatorial committee’s for the department and VUT over the years.
Teaching activities: Leigh-Jeanne’s teaching interests and activities focus on graphic design principles and visual communication in a nurturing environment. She creates exciting and relevant projects and briefs that highlight current interest topics and challenge the students to delve into research and interpretation. The students are encouraged to develop unique creative solutions and exciting visual problem-solving outcomes.
Research interests: Leigh-Jeanne’s field of research has included numerous studies on art books, visual journaling, mood boards and vision boards. She is inspired by the powerful process of observing and physically recording visual stimuli as a tool to interpret and solve creative problems and unearth unique visual solutions.
Supervision interests: Leigh-Jeanne has engaged in supervision of BTECH graphic design students
Community engagement: Leigh-Jeanne has been involved with and served on the committee of the numerous community initiates that has been implemented by the visual art and design department for numerous years. She has also created various projects and opportunities for her students to engage with community as part of their learning experience.
Ms. Leigh Thomas
Junior Lecturer (Graphic Design)
Room: K303-1 - Email: doreenv@vutcloud.onmicrosoft.com
Research interests: Practice-led research in graphic design with special interest in autoethnography as methodology.
Supervision interests: Undergraduate supervision and facilitation of practice-led projects in graphic design.
Community engagement: Me van der Walt positions herself as a ‘Christian Environmentalist Graphic Designer’. Her creative drive and passion for conceptualising and producing value adding graphic designs with the purpose to create community and social awareness around environmental issues and crises caused by human actions and society, stems from her commitment and strive to ‘cultivate, inhabit, and conserve’ our environment, as instructed in Genesis 1:28: “God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
Creative projects: Me Van der Walt’s brand ‘#GATVOL!#BewerkBewoon#Bewaar’ is currently in its developmental phase and will be launched online early 2020: www.gatvol-bbb.org. Her first #GATVOL! creative project addresses the catastrophic plastic pollution of our oceans (MTech practice-led graphic design project in progress). Me Van der Walt’s portfolio and contact information can be viewed at https://dzine43.wixsite.com/dorette
Ms. Dorette van der Walt
Junior Lecturer (Graphic Design)
Room: K313-2 - Email: kate@vut.ac.za
Teaching activities: Currently Kate’s teaching activities focus on spearheading the Human Perspectives programme from first to third year and the facilitation of research reports and design portfolios at fourth year level. Additionally, she has taught Drawing, Illustration, Communication Design and History and Theory of Graphic Design across all levels of study.
Research interests: Kate’s research interest lie in exploring different approaches to graphic design pedagogy specifically incorporating human-centred processes within graphic and communication design. Her research considers how the concept of Ubuntu relates to human-centred graphic design practice and how these concepts could underpin a re-considered curriculum for graphic design at a University of Technology. More recently she has focus on blended learning modalities in graphic design education.
Recent publications include:
2019 – “Barriers to Blended Learning in Graphic Design”, co-author: R Maharajh, paper accepted for presentation DEFSA conference, 9-11 September, Cape Town.
2019 – “A Shift in the Research Design Approach: Reporting on the Complexities of the Application of Human Centred Design and the Co-Design Process in a Library Setting”, co-authors: A Munro; D, Heenop. The Design Journal, ISSN: 1460-6925 (Print) 1756-3062 (Online) Journal, 15 April 2019.
2018 – “Students’ experiences of human-centred interventions in a design education setting”, South African Journal of Higher Education (SAJHE), accepted for publication, Vol. 33 No. 6 of 2019.
2017 – “Flourishing in graphic design education: incorporating Ubuntu as a curricular strategy”. Journal
The Design Journal, An International Journal for All Aspects of Design.
Volume 20, 2017 – Issue sup1: Design for Next: Proceedings of the 12th European Academy of Design Conference, Sapienza University of Rome, 12-14 April 2017, edited by Loredana Di Lucchio, Lorenzo Imbesi, Paul Atkinson, ISBN 978-1-138-09023-1
Ms. Kate Chmela-Jones
Senior Lecturer and Programme Coordinator (Graphic Design)
Room: K317 - Email: resshma@vut.ac.za
Teaching activities: Her teaching focuses on both under- and post-graduate students. Her areas of expertise are History and Theory of Graphic Design, Research Methods and Advanced Media and Technology and Advanced portfolio Development.
Research interests: Her research interests are in the fields of alternative critical and cultural theories. “My passion for research is rooted in the research questions that I am enthusiastic about as well as my belief that there are still theoretically important and practice-relevant questions that have not been fully addressed in the field. My work has implications for the “real-world” of individuals, visual art, and the society. In my pursuits of high -quality research, I emphasize the following: Intellectual courage, humility and keeping an open mind with a critical thinking mindset.”
Supervision interests: Practice-led research, Autoethnography, Alternative theories (Indian, African, Islamic) and Cultural Identities
Community engagement: Working with local Lenasia community in terms of social and cultural upliftment.
Creative projects: Participated in various exhibitions and projects led through the Department of Visual Art and Design
Ms. Reshma Maharajh
Lecturer (Graphic Design)
Room: K313-1 - Email: wesleyt@vut.ac.za
Mr. Wesley Turner
Technician (Graphic Design)
Room: K001-3 - Email: annekel@vut.ac.za
Teaching activities: Anneke currently teaches the Advanced Diploma in Photography as well as Theory of Media Technologies 3.
Research interests: Anneke is primarily involved with creative practice research in landscape photography and experience of place. She is particuarly interested in how landscape photography shapes places and how technology mediates embodied experience. She is also interested in curatorial practices and the history of South African landscape photography.
Supervision interests: Anneke is interested in supervising research projects that explore problems arising from and within creative practices. She is also particularly interested in projects that develop interaction and connections between communities and creative professions, such as photography/multimedia and tourism. She is also developing studies that delve into the interactions between humans, technologies and environments, through creative practice.
Creative projects: Anneke’s personal photographic work revolves around landscape and documentary photography, often combining the two genres. As part of her recently completed PhD se mounted an exhibiton titled ‘Telling Places’ in the Bodutu Art Gallery.
Dr. Anneke De Klerk
Seniorr Lecturer (Photography)
Room: K005-2 - Email: jacobd@vut.ac.za
Mr. Jakob Doman
Lecturer (Photography)
Room: K001-1 - Email: hjohnson@vut.ac.za
Teaching activities: practical use and competency on equipment used by students .
Research interest: Completion of master’s degree in Abstract landscape photography – if Department can appoint study leader.
Community engagement: Where/when ever Department is involved in community projects. Providing technical support.
Creative projects : Woodwork and carpentry
Mr. Hennie Johnson
Senior Technician (Photography)
Room: K001-2 - Email: sbogle@vut.ac.za
Teaching activities: He is the 1st year Diploma Photography course coordinator. Sean is primarily responsible for the teaching and facilitating of the following three subjects: Theory of Media Technologies 1, Professional Practice 1 and Media Practice 1.
Research interests: He has interests in: Visual imaging as a form of visual communication. Mixed digital media and the narrative possibilities therein with today’s many social platforms.
Supervision interests: He is involved with one M student study in the form of a sub-supervisor capacity.
Community engagement: Sean engages with visitors at the University annual open day. In the past he was involved with local camera club activities.
Creative projects: Sean loves exploring the use of vintage camera lenses (lenses from film cameras dating back to the 1970’s) with current digital cameras, in theme-based studies. He draws motivation from radio, comic illustration and films of old.
Work History: (Hide)
After completing my National Diploma in Photography (graduating in 1992) at the former Pretoria Technikon now (TUT), I was employed by the South African Defence Force as an editorial Photographer working for Paratus Magazine which later changed name to Salut, with the integration of the now new, South African National Defence Force.
During my time in the SANDF I completed my 4th year of study (National Higher Diploma) at Pretoria Technikon (graduating in 1996). The study focused on the human-aspect of persons in uniform (this was done over the period of the Country’s first democratic elections). During this period, I had images published in the monthly periodical which had a circulation of 80 000 plus. The photography complimented and illustrated the written article which was done by a journalist. During my six years as a photographer in the SANDF I would attain the rank of Captain.
In 1998 I jointed the Photographic staff compliment at the Vaal Triangle Technicon. I taught both practical and theoretical subjects for the course National Diploma Photography. 1999 I would broaden my teaching tasks by teaching Graphic Design students basic photography skills and applications (1st, 2nd and 3rd year students). I too developed and taught a short course in Photography (1999-2003) for persons not wanting to do the 3-year full time course.
I completed my B.Tech in Education Post School (2002). I attended workshops and digital photo- imaging design courses (Digital Imaging Software) presented by a fellow staff member. In 2006 the department closed the last analogue darkroom photographic process facility and went to a fully digital imaging course structure. As an academic staff member, I have been involved with corporate and function photography by assisting past students and associates, thus keeping abreast of latest trends and practices.
In 2019 I completed and graduated with a M.Tech in Photography (The Wedding Ritual: A Photographer’s Journey to Capturing Practice). I have a keen interest in comic and poster illustration, music, theatre, the radio and film. I believe, as an artist, you must draw on all sources of inspiration and never stop learning.
Mr. Sean Bogle
Lecturer (Photography)
Room: K203 - Email: allanm@vut.ac.za
Teaching activities: His teaching responsibilities lie therefore in the domain of research in general and in the arts, specifically.
Research interests: Allan’s research interests are wide and encompass aspects of communication through the word, the visual, the acoustic and the kinaesthetic, both as everyday occurrences and as heightened, aesthetic endeavours. The attached CV gives an indication of the spread. Allan is also fascinated with research ethics.
Supervision interests: Allan has supervised to completion Masters and Doctoral candidates in Drama, Theatre, Film, Photography, Fine Arts, Graphics Design, Performing Arts Technology and Music
Community engagement: The bulk of Allan’s community engagement work falls into two areas: He is deeply involved in the research ethics community, serving as deputy chair of the Central Research Ethics Committee. He is also very invested in swimming as an announcer at provincial and national galas.
Creative projects: Allan’s contributions to creative work lie in the domains of playwriting (10 plays) and film script writing.
Prof. Allan Munro
Associate Professor
Room: M101 - Email: matselisor@vut.ac.za
I am a skilled and effective Fashion Design Lecturer at Vaal University of Technology in South Africa, with considerable knowledge of Garment and pattern construction, business practices especially in fashion and Textiles design I am a dynamic team-spirited individual who enjoys the challenge of busy, demanding work environment.
Research Interests: Publications
- Perceived success of entrepreneurs in the Vaal region of South Africa with special reference to fashion entrepreneurs. Mediterranean Journal of Social Science Vol.5, No.1, January 2014.
- The impact of fashion entrepreneurs’ traits on the success of the fashion businesses in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Mediterranean Journal of Social Science Volume 5, No. 3, March 2014.
Creative projects
Ms. Matseliso Rapita
Lecturer (Fashion)
Room: K102 - Email: sparkss@vut.ac.za
Mr. Lucas Selepe
Technician Assistant
Room: K102 - Email: innocentn@vut.ac.za
Mr. Innocent Nhlambo
Technician Assistant
