I was lucky enough to be a headlining artist in the group exhibition entitled "Swaziland Now" at the 2014 MTN Bushfire Festival in Malkerns, Swaziland.
The exhibition was organised by Yebo Contemporary Art Gallery - the country's leading art house. All work dealt with the issues and joys of present day Swaziland. Being a politically focused artist, my work focused on the role the youth can and perhaps should have in solving Swaziland's key issues and shaping the future of a beautiful nation.
Speak Act Change
This piece was inspired by a Whatsapp group discussion I had with some friends, all of whom live and have lived in Swaziland their entire lives, about the key issues facing the country's youth and how we should be dealing with them. Excerpts from the text conversation can be seen in the background of each panel. By the end of the conversation the general consensus on the route to progress was:
1. To speak with youths about the issues they face, educating them on the topics of education, gender equality and HIV/AIDS and thus equipping them with vital knowledge and a broader mindset.
2. To encourage those who have learnt and discussed these and other issues to go into their communities and engage other youths in the discussion. Thus, encouraging young people to act locally and spread the will to make a positive difference.
3. Once those two things have been achieved, they must be promoted, continued and embraced in order to achieve meaningful and positve change.
Charcoal, fabric, spray paint, acrylic and plaster on canvas - original work sold, prints available.
Rise I & II
These took inspiration from The Atlantic's online article entitled "Africa's Game of Thrones". The piece, written by Thor Halvorssen and Alex Gladstein, theatrically portrayed Swaziland's "feudal society" akin to that of the popular HBO series Game of Thrones. I took great offence from the article, as did many Swazis. While Swaziland's monarchy is not without its share of corruption and denial of rights such as freedom of expression, it is nowhere near as backward and brutal as foreign media would like to have you believe.
Thus these mixed media screen prints make a comment on the foreign idea of a call to action in Swaziland.
410 x 290 mm each - original work still on sale
Break Free
Though local action is limited, and local communities are peaceful, it is important that we stand up against vital issues in Swaziland. Whether it be minor instances of corruption, or for the victims of the extensive gender-based violence, we must take a stand and have a voice. This mixed media set made use of paper, acrylic, spray paint and plaster on canvas.
Original work still on sale
