THEMBA MKHANGELI (29) – CAPE TOWN MERIT AWARD WINNER

Themba MKHANGELI (29)

Cape Town

Ubushushu Bekhaya (The warmth of home)

Ballpoint pen on paper

87 cm x 68 cm

Grandmothers are the strong pillars who hold the communities together. In my village, young people leave for cities in search of jobs and opportunities. It is grandmothers who remain and raise grandchildren. The loss of my grandmother and mother has left a gaping hole in my life. I no longer feel the same sense of comfort and belonging when I return to my village. The lines on her face, the sparkle in her eyes, and the texture of her skin tell a story of a life well lived but also one marked by hardship and injustice. As someone who was raised by my grandmother, I have a deep appreciation for the sacrifices she made for me. Blue is a primary colour across all models of colour space. Blue represents both the sea and the sky. It is also used to suggest a connection to nature and symbolises positivity, professionalism and trust. It is, therefore, associated a lot with life, stimulates imagination and freedom, and acts as an inspiration. I use a ballpoint pen because I grew up without art materials, and it's a simple, affordable tool. It allows me to express myself as a patient artist because I love to feel every single stroke of a pen, and I found textured paper works well with a pen. The butterfly represents the beauty of my grandmother.

Q&A

Tell us what your reaction was when you received the news that your work had be selected?

I was super excited! It’s always one of my big dreams to achieve such achievements in the art competition/art world.  It means a lot to me as a self-taught artist. I know it's not easy to get this far to any art competition.

Why did you decide to enter the competition a second year running?

It took me so many years to try to develop and master the medium, also to prepare for this competition due to its standards. Last year, I went all out aiming to get the overall prize, but it was not time or enough. This year I want to surprise and challenge myself to do more and better than last year because winning this competition will add a powerful value to my CV and it will help me to become the artist I want to be, not forgetting the opportunities, especially the solo exhibition opportunity. When you want something wholeheartedly you fight for it many times not once, because last year it was my first time entering the competition. I thought why try not again.

Tell us about your journey as an artist this past year after being crowned the runner up in 2023.

I gained more opportunities, followers and art investors who are supporting me personally and my work.

What have been some of the highlights since last year?

I was lucky to do many radio, newspaper, TV and magazines interviews and features.    After I was announced as the runner-up, the South African Reserve Bank launched the new upgraded money designs which includes my R2 coin design. This year I got a big project from African Bank through Makgati Molebatsi who was the MC last year at Sasol New Signatures 2023 award ceremony.

Has the competition open doors or helped you as an artist the past year?

It really has helped me and has opened so many doors and opportunities for me and I am still hoping to get more opportunities from the competition this year.

Tell us a little about why you created the piece you submitted? 

I'm always inspired by nature and things happening around it, negative and positive impacts. I created this piece to touch people's souls and to do better than last year in the competition. 

Grandmothers are the strong pillars who hold the communities together. In my village, young people leave for cities in search of jobs and opportunities. It is grandmothers who remain and raise the grandchildren. 

It is however saddening to observe what happens to those strong women when they are older and vulnerable. They become subjected to violence such as rape, witchcraft sniffing, murder, attacks and robbery. Their social grant money being stolen from them. 

The loss of my grandmother and mother has left a gaping hole in my life. I no longer feel the same sense of comfort and belonging when I return to my village. The memories of my grandmothers love, warmth, and care are now bitter sweet, as I am reminded of the pain and suffering she endured. The lines on her face, the sparkle in her eyes, and texture of her skin tell a story of a life well lived, but also one marked by hardship and injustice. 

As someone who was raised by my grandmother, I have deep appreciation for the sacrifices she made for me. Her love and guidance shaped me into the person I am today, and her absence has left a void that cannot be filled.

Have you been experimenting with mediums or is ballpoint pen your go to?

Ballpoint pen is my favourite medium, but I have been exploring other mediums a lot.  I'm comfortable to work with any medium.

When people view your work – what reaction/response  are you hoping to create? 

A WOW reaction!  I want them to connect and engage with the artwork. I want them to ask different questions about process and the message I'm trying to convey. I want to catch the viewer's eye so that they can connect with the feelings of that particular subject. I mostly  focus on the details and features which tell a story, like the eyes.

Why do you think your work was chosen as one of the winning works again?

When you want to do better, you put more effort into what you are doing. This year I found ways to improve from last year. Last the scale was 2x bigger than the one I did now, but I spent equal time on this work because of the amount of the details and the process I took to build the artwork and the statement together. I  also used a different background to give it a more pop-art feel and the contrast to enhance the portrait. My work is very unique and original, even the way I use the medium is different and mastered. 

What is your advice to emerging artists and how they can progress in their careers the way you have?

Patience is key to art. As an emerging artist you need to understand the story you want to create with your artwork, find your own style, preferably a medium and invest more time in your craft. Take any opportunities coming in your way, every opportunity is very important to build your career. Stay focused and be willing to learn. Failure is a good lesson to success, learn from it and move on ortry again.

Anything else you would like to add?

I would like to say thank you so much to all the management, judges, organisers, stakeholders and artists who made this competition possible and an amazing opportunity for everyone. I feel honoured to be part of the winners circle of Sasol New Signature 2024 again. I so wish every artists can take this competition/opportunity seriously  and understand what a positive impact it is on one’s career after your work has been selected as a finalist. And to those who didn't make it through this year, please never give up, learn and come back stronger, and have positive energy because yonke into inexesha layo. Thank you once again.