South Africa's Top Black Visual Artists to Watch for in 2022
Written by Nadine Kilala
“The arts matter because we matter, and our stories matter.” – Mohammed Sheriff
Art is everywhere. It permeates all aspects of our being, from the homes we live in, to the streets we walk on. Art speaks as it tells stories that transcend time, space, and even imagination. Different art forms embody the stories, views, and beliefs of those who created them, thus art is a powerful way to experience the cultural landscape of a destination.
As travellers we tend to find ourselves immersed in art as we search to build connections to the places we visit. Experiencing art through travel magnifies our attachment to a place, leaving us with an imprint that remains in our hearts and minds.
This blog celebrates 6 formidable Black artists who are creating groundbreaking shifts in the art world in South Africa and beyond.
Zanele Muholi
This Johannesburg-based artist is a self-proclaimed visual activist who explores black and LGBTQI identities in South Africa. Muholi uses art as a form of activism to address social challenges that are invisible in the eyes of mainstream media. The artistic direction used by Muholi is a direct response to the continued violence and discrimination that LGBTQI and Black people face every day.
Muholi is driven with the mission to change the narrative to "re-write a black queer and trans visual history of South Africa for the world to know of their resistance and existence at the height of hate crimes". Muholi’s artistic direction valiantly stimulates conservation on the lack of representation of black and queer identities in South Africa in art spaces. Through the camera lens, Muholi shatters the stigma that has historically hindered the increased visibility of black and LGBTQI identities in South African art. Muholi’s visual activism opens up greater opportunities for the next generation of artists who are critical of status quo structures.
You can book an Art Safari tour with Coffeebeans routes to visit and support local artists and galleries in Cape Town, including a visit to Stevenson art gallery where Zanele Muholi is a featured artist.
If you’re too excited to wait until your trip, you can get to understand Zanele Muholi’s personal journey and artistic process through her own words in the short film called “Johannesburg”, here.
Dbongz
South Africa has a bustling street art scene that homes the continent's cream of the crop street artists. From Maboneng to Jewel City, Dbongz has a visible stamp in the mural collection people encounter in Johannesburg’s inner city. Inspired by using walls as a canvas, Dbongz instantly fell in love with the freedom of animating walls with colours and stories. Dbongz captures the plurality of Johannesburg's migrant communities, who call the City of Gold, home. The street murals carry stories and send messages to people from all backgrounds. You can follow Dbongz’ Instagram page to get direct updates on his street art journey.
To experience Dbongz’s art, the streets of Johannesburg automatically become your gallery. Why don’t you book your very own adventurous graffiti bicycle tour here?
Or, on your next visit to South Africa, you can attend the vibrant annual International Public Art Festival in Cape Town.
Tony Gum
This young creative Cape Town native has broken the glass ceilings of artistry worldwide. Tony Gum’s powerful self-portraits reveal the heterogeneity of African identities rather than the single African narrative that is portrayed throughout the world. Inspired by her Xhosa cultural heritage and the contemporary millennial experience, Tony Gum uses bold self-portraits to illustrate the multidimensionality of African identities. Through photographic art, Tony Gum craftily uses costumes, body paint, make-up, and props to deliver enchanting visuals that critically vocalise the influence of consumerism, colonialism, and culture on African identities. Tony Gum is a trendsetter who has captured the attention of global fashion editorial brands the likes of Vogue. This young talent is no stranger to receiving global accolades like the Miami Beach Pulse Prize. As reiterated by Vogue, Tony Gum is totally an “international cool girl to discover and fall for”.
Learn more about Tony Gum’s artistic and personal takes on her enthralling interview with L’Officiel.
Greatjoy Ndlovu
The critically acclaimed Zimbabwean-born visual artist is known for his abstract figurative art portraiture pieces that illustrate emotion, motion, and expression. The artist is recognised for exploring inner human emotions such as mourning, optimism, and frustration rather than depicting our external realities. Greatjoy’s artwork captures emotion through expressive paint strokes, pencil work, and purposeful colour palette choice. Through viewing Greatjoy’s art, viewers are given a platform to decode the meaning of the internal emotions portrayed in the art.
In 2019 Greatjoy released a standout series called “Conversations of a Man''. The series shows the different challenges faced by men in society. “Conversations of a Man” aims to trigger important discussions on the toxicity of patriarchy. This art series is pivotal because it inspires men and the broader society to raise awareness and address the challenges of patriarchy with more urgency. Moreover, the series pushes for changes in how young boys are socialised and educated within and outside their homes. This series is intimately tied to Greatjoy’s experiences written and illustrated in his autobiographical art book called, “The Path to Great Joy”.
Yolanda Mazwana
Yolanda Mazwana is a Johannesburg-based self-taught visual artist who specialises in expressive painting. Mazwana's artistic storytelling delves into pertinent social issues such as mental illness, phobias, and relationships. The abstract style of Mazwana pieces marries expressionism, neo-expressionism, and symbolism to voice social commentary on mental and emotional vulnerabilities that people are confronted with within society.
In the “Symptoms of Nothing” series, Mazwana rawly portrays the physical and physiological responses to trauma through the purposeful composition of textures and colours that illustrate the severity of physiological responses. This series authentically reveals the crippling experiences of trauma and mental health. The conversation surrounding mental health in South Africa is often neglected due to the stigma and discrimination attached to it. Mazwana’s “Symptoms of Nothing” talks openly about trauma and mental health issues, thus helping to break down existing societal misconceptions.
Did you know that every First Thursday of the month is a big thing in Cape Town? First Thursdays are popularly known for exhibiting fresh art pieces in South Africa – in fact, Mazwana’s artwork was previously featured last year.
When you are in Johannesburg, you can pop by and explore Mazwana’s art collection series at Kalashnikovv Gallery.
Lungiswa Gqunta
Outspoken, unapologetic, and uncompromising are just a few words that encapsulate Gqunta’s artistic style. Gqunta engages with the complex nuances of South Africa’s post-apartheid cultural and political context through art. While addressing violent dualisms between the haves and have nots, liberated and oppressed in South African society, Gqynta’s art illustrates that these binaries are paradoxically intimate and are often found in the same spaces.
Critical of the societal inequalities that emerge from patriarchal structures and apartheid legacy, Gqunta uses her artistic direction to illustrate the various types of violence that persist in the South African lived experience. Systemic violence in South Africa is uncomfortable; however, Gqunta uses art as an agent to spark necessary conversations on violence. Gqunta’s use of mediums such as sound, videos, broken glass, barbed wires to torn clothing materials confronts art viewers with emotionally-packed messages. According to the trailblazing lawyer and passionate art-enthusiast, Pulane Kingston,“Gqunta is one of the very few artists who has already begun to understand that for South Africa to become a vibrant democracy where dignity finds true resonance, we need to find healing through the brokenness of who we are.”
Keep your eye out on Gqunta’s thought-provoking exhibitions here. Who knows, maybe Lungiswa will hold an exhibition near you!
Storytelling through art is an essential piece to our humanity as it is a uniting force that allows people to feel and be connected to a story that is bigger than us. Experiencing art through travel provides us with an alternative way to learn more about the cultures and places we interact with.
Travel is a truly eye-opening experience. What is better than travelling with Viatu to explore South Africa’s burgeoning art scene? Click here to create your very own customisable trip to South Africa.
