The Graphic Nation Curation

GRAPHICS AND ILLUSTRATIONS

WORDS PRETTY MANGENA

LAYOUT AND PHOTOGRAPGHY LUCIANA MALETE

Aobakwe Mogotsi

ILLUSTRATOR,GRAPHIC DESIGNER

IQHAWE: What originally made you want to become a graphic designer? Did you get any formal training for it?

Aobakwe: Growing up I was always an artsy person and after passing my matric I enrolled at Rosebank college for Logistics and Supply Chain Management. That year was the year I discovered my love for graphics through the street culture of Johannesburg and just not only fine art but everything visual, I, later on, dropped out at Rosebank and in 2016 I enrolled at City Varsity for Multimedia Design and Production.

IQHAWE: How would you describe your approach to design?

Aobakwe: I’d describe my approach to design as an “Analogue Approach”. I prefer starting my design through a process of brainstorming a brainstorm; a series of three or more brainstorms based on the results of the previous brainstorm. And only after that is when I start doodling and doing hand sketches before I start working on the ideas digitally.

IQHAWE: What defines your work in relation to other artists/people?

Aobakwe: I’d say my art is a mashup of history, emotions, and a bit of madness. My artworks are nostalgic, emotionevoking, and one could get lost in trying to understand some of my abstract art

IQHAWE: What are the norms that you are aware of in graphic design? And what are you doing to distinguish yourself from that?

Aobakwe: People usually make the mistake of following trends without applying themselves to create their own style; trends are meant for references as a designer. I usually do my research through talking with people, because the information that’s on the internet accessible to the whole world of designers and by talking to people I get to have new information and also get to hear other people’s opinions and thoughts. I believe in “humans before machines”, because whatever I Design I Design for humans to appreciate.

IQHAWE: Are there any aesthetics thatyou focus on?

Aobakwe: I mostly focus on the De Stjil and Bauhaus aesthetics of design but I fuse them with ancient African and Japanese traditional art aesthetics.

SIyaNdA SIbiSI

SA well-versed motion graphic designer and illustrator. He was born and raised in the south of Johannesburg, Soweto and he studied Animation at City Varsity. Siyanda has always had a love for the visual arts, and his work is highly being influenced by his love of music, specifically Hip hop. His pieces are often made digitally using his trusty Wacom tablet and the Photoshop software and the subject matter is usually artists whose content touched him and inspired him creatively.

MOGAU KEKANA

IQHAWE: Who or What has been thebiggest inspiration on your way ofthinking?

MOGAU: There are a few inspirational people I've worked with who stay dropping gems of wisdom and I believe that affects how I think about work and how I want to position myself. In terms of what inspires me... I'd have to say Africa and its people, our cities and cultures, our similarities and differences and the overall aesthetic of these things combined.

IQHAWE: Are there any aesthetics that you focus on?

MOGAU: I mainly concentrate on my surroundings and where I am from. I was raised in Hillbrow...not the best neighborhood in town. Living in Hillbrow has a lot of negativity associated with it and I believe Hillbrow is a part of me and my story... and so I've been using illustration to explore the positives to embrace a part of who I am. A part of me I've always been uncomfortably ashamed of.

IQHAWE: What are the norms that you are aware of in graphic design? And what are you doing to distinguish yourself from that?

MOGAU: A lot of times artists are influenced heavily by Eastern and Asian aesthetics of illustrating. I try to stay away from that as much as possible. In the same breath, I'd say there's a lot one can learn from these influencers due to the fact that they have been doing this and they've taken the industry seriously for way longer that Africa has... However, I'm against copying and trying to be like them.

IQHAWE: What are your thoughts on the evolution of graphic design?

MOGAU: Illustration and design have come a long way. especially in the "Mother Land". I think people are slowly starting to see the importance of it and I'm excited to see what we get to achieve in the next decade.

IQHAWE: What defines your work inrelation to other artists/people?

MOGAU: I see my work as both contemporary and afro-centric. I want to create beautiful and authentic narratives of things and people who are not always under the best light of representation.

D A V I D I S I G U Z O

.ART

IQHAWE: What made you want to become agraphic designer? Did you get any formaltraining for it?

David: My journey into art started with coloring-in animals and cartoons at crèche. But unlike most people, I didn’t stop as I grew older. Having an older brother with a like mindset for the arts was a blessing and a challenge to always emulate and reach his standard. I believe this is what pushed me to become better at my work. So from coloring into sketching during maths period to painting watercolors eventually, I came into contact with digital art (again through my brother). The boundlessness and dexterity of it lured me in and I have been at it since 2018 and it’s been an absolute joyride of a discovery even without any formal training.

IQHAWE: Is there any aesthetic you focus on?

DAVID: My focus of recent has been portraits and the emotions and textures the human facial expresses.

IQHAWE: What defines your work in relation, other artists/people?

DAVID: I guess what may set me apart from other artists is the variety of styles I use for each artwork. Each piece is independent to the next and this is my path until I feel I have a concrete artistic path to shackle myself to.

IQHAWE: How would you describe your approach to design? DAVID: I am still relatively new to the graphics design scene and at the moment I’m trying not to limit myself with one style or aspect of it. There are so many avenues to explore and I try them all as often as I can by doing logos, posters, digital paintings using different techniques each time and recently trying my hand at animation. Design is boundless and I’m trying my best to emulate that.

IQHAWE: Who or What has been the biggest inspiration on your way of thinking?

DAVID: Growing up I was Supa Strikers' biggest fan which became my biggest influence. This led into a comic book and anime frenzy with the likes of Archie, X- men, Spawn and Naruto shaping the way I approached my art earlier on. These days though I’ve religiously followed the works of Loyiso Mkize (Supa Strikers cartoonist), Daniel Clarke, Kim Jong Gi, Inhyuk Lee Josan Gonzalez but most of all Irakli Nadar and a lot of other art pros with amazing talent and brilliance to go with their work.

IQHAWE: What are the norms that you are aware of in graphic design? And what are you doing to distinguish yourself from that?

DAVID: I don’t believe there are any norms in design. No matter how heavily influenced a design can be, artists always find a way to speak their own truth despite the imitation. With my work as well I make sure to draw inspiration from trends and pop culture which I then mold into my own creation.

IQHAWE: What are your thoughts on the evolution of graphic design?

DAVID: Wow graphic design has come a long way and there are so many opportunities in this modern market for our prowess. Technology is making great strides toward easing the process of creating art and allowing all manner of crazy explosive creativity to shine through designers and artists alike in film, photography, branding, marketing, and a whole other avenue. Boundless.

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