SA'S FINEST CREATIVES

South Africa boasts an abundance of exceptionally talented and versatile public figures and personalities, so it’s tough choosing a handful of standout artists and entertainers to shine a light on. We’re providing the scoop on who’s been making waves in SA’s creative landscape this year.

VISUAL ARTIST

Mary Sibande

Depicting the human form and exploring the formation of identity in a postcolonial South African context – Mary Sibande is a world-class artiste of note.

For Mary Sibande, the use of colour is important in all her work. Her use of specific colour schemes is indicative of racial and cultural ideas - colour is her artistic way of speaking about these themes. Each colour has a significant meaning. In South Africa, traditionally manual labourers wear blue - workers in the streets, and even factory workers wear blue overalls. Hence, Mary’s use of royal blue in her installations and sculptures. Her work is not about complaining about apartheid, or an invitation to feel sorry for her because of her race and history. It is about celebrating who she is and where she comes from as a South African woman.

Mary’s work also includes the use of an alter ego named Sophie. Sophie plays out Mary’s personal fantasies of the maternal women in her immediate family. She has created this mythical figure from stories that her forbearers previously shared with her. These stories reflected the political system of the time which speaks of servitude and Sophie comes as a culmination of their collective escapism. Mary uses escapism in her artwork to tell stories through sculpture, dress and installation. Sophie is not a static figure, and her story is continuous. She emerges out of apartheid in the blue maid uniforms, and enters later phases of Mary’s work wearing purple (Mary’s way of redressing the past), and currently Sophie wears red (a colour which demands justice) in her latest work, The Domba Dance (2019).

In terms of artistic process, Mary uses her body as a canvas for moulding her figures into fibre glass. This is a similar process to that used for creating mannequins. The notion of gesture becomes a communicative device which Mary utilises in her work. The garments also play a big role in the look and feel of the performativity aspect of her artwork. Beyond the sculptural, Mary also employs her physical body photographically. In this process, she dresses up in a garment that she’s designed and performs for the camera. She does not regard herself as a performance artist, at least not in the traditional sense of performing live in front of an audience. These processes allow Mary to be more explorative about her work.

FAST FACTS

Accreditation(s):54th Venice Biennale artist, Diploma in Fine Arts, Witwatersrand Technikon & Honours Degree, University of Johannesburg

Hometown: Barberton, Mpumalanga

Books Authored: Long Live the Dead Queen

*Mary’s work was recently honoured at the BredaPhoto2020, a biannual festival in the town of Breda, Netherlands.

CURATOR

Khanyisile Mbongwa

KHANYI’S KEY NOTES: Be curious Listen and observe Pay attention to detail

WHAT INSPIRES YOU DAILY?

The womxn in my family, who walk with me, are a great inspiration. These womxn keep teaching me how to hold space, how to show up, how to be present, how to create space, how to share, and how to exist in the abundance of our gifts deliberately and intentionally. They show me that it’s not just about being resilient, but also about seeing yourself fully, and manifesting from that fullness, even if the world has made it its quest to structurally and institutionally deny you because you are womxn, black, LBGTQIA+, poor – and for me this is the type of love and freedom that inspires me.

WHAT IMPORTANT QUALITIES SHOULD ANY CURATOR SHOULD HAVE?

I think it’s important to develop a critical sensitivity so that you are open to listen and hear. Thus, having the capacity to grasp what is being shared and how it is being shared. Curators also need to have an understanding that, on some level, curating is about holding a safe space for those who are involved, particularly the artists – therefore figuring out what that looks like for each exhibition. Discernment is a good quality to have, and this does not always come easy. Valuing your position is essential as well - don’t settle for less than what you are worth.

ANY ADVICE FOR ASPIRING CURATORS?

Have fun! Please, make room for joy and laughter in your process. Some parts of the journey will be lonely, especially when you are developing your voice and what it is you want to say. Give yourself time to develop your ideas, theories and concepts. Take up internships, but be clear on how they align with where you are heading, and always trust your intuition.

FAST FACTS

Accreditation(s): BA in Humanities (Sociology); Honours in Curatorship; Masters in Interdisciplinary Art, Public Art & Public Sphere

Hometown: Gugulethu, Cape Town

Favourite Books: Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangaremba & A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

CHEF

On completion of his studies at Silwood School of Cookery, Cape Town, Marabi Club’s Head Chef Katlego Mlambo has become synonymous with the skillful elevation of authentic African flavours.

HIS SIGNATURE DISH

A 12-hour braised beef tongue with smoked-parsnip purée and pickled mustard seeds.

HIS STYLE OF COOKING

Katlego’s own style of cooking is eager and quick-footed, with scrumptious savage flavours. A lot of different things influence him as a chef, whether it be music, pop culture, or local food vendor’s offerings. His aim is to change the world one plate at a time.

HIS HOBBIES

This young chef is known for being social and pretty active, and he enjoys getting the chance to get out of the kitchen - visiting beaches, playing touch-rugby and soccer. He is also an avid thrift shop fan.

QUICK Q&A

Essential kitchen tool: The humble spoon

Pet peeve: A dirty sink and when someone messes salt

Foodie guilty pleasure: Burnt Popcorn

Best drink after a long service: Gin and tonic

Last meal on earth: His Gogo’s pap with lamb chops and gravy

AVID ARCHITECT

Sumayya Vally

After designing the 2020 Serpentine Pavilion, Sumayya Vally’s all-female studio, Counterspace, is currently in collaboration with the Serpentine on a series of off-site and online research endeavours, which will culminate with the launch of the Pavilion, in Summer 2021.

THE SERPENTINE PAVILION PROJECT

The Pavilion, as a whole, intricately considers construction’s role in society, both socially and environmentally. Sumayya approached this project using her same values when designing something locally – looking out for the inspirations in the fabric of the city and the lives of people in it. Like some of her previous projects, the methodology for the Pavilion is moulded through the lens of a key interest in belonging, identity, territory, and trying to see architecture beyond that which is materially built.

HER BACKGROUND

Sumayya spent a big part of her childhood taking walks from her grandfather’s stores on Ntemi Piliso Street in Joburg, to her nearest Johannesburg library. For her, this process of simply walking in her city was a very sensory experience, through which she learned that architecture can either exclude people and groups - othering them – or can be a vital force for the exact opposite - bringing people together.

HER WORK WITH COUNTERSPACE

Everything Sumayya completes with her all-female studio, is all about what she and her team desire to bring out in a space or location. Sumayya believes that spaces have stories to tell, and she and her team have the power to select which narratives to push forward. The Counterspace team always tries to achieve this in many of their public art projects, which are usually about place-making and bringing together an image or a landmark for a place that stems from the context that they’re working in.

TO A YOUNGER ARCHITECT

• There is always architecture waiting to happen in places that are overlooked.

• Learn how to dissect the index of an archive, and how to make your own indexes.

• Don’t listen to anyone who tells you that everything you can ever imagine has already been done. They are incorrect.

• Ingest atmospheres; observe things deeply, absorb them.

*Find out more here: https://counterspace-studio.com/

SUSTAINABLE TEXTILE CHAMPION

Sindiso Khumalo

The eco-conscious fashion aficionado uses potent, historicallyinspired narratives to underpin her distinctive textile pieces.

Born in Botswana and raised in Durban, Sindiso Khumalo is a textile designer who completed her architectural studies with the University of Cape Town, before relocating to London to work for the renowned Ghanaian British architect, David Adjaye. She went on to obtain her Masters degree in Design for Textile Futures at Central Saint Martins - University of the Arts London. Today, she owns a self-titled womenswear brand, which embraces daring, graphic prints with a touch of chic, minimalist construction. Recently, she was awarded ‘Best Independent Designer Award’ at the 2020 Green Carpet Fashion Awards. She is also a finalist for the coveted LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers, granted by LVMH group.

Sindiso started her career Milan Fashion Week four years ago, and would not be here today without the immense opportunities Milan Fashion Week offered her brand as a whole. She recently dedicated her award to the amazing artisans she’s worked with in places like Burkina Faso, Barrydale, KwaZulu-Natal, and Cape Town. Sindiso started her brand with the goal of being a ‘modern-day Robin Hood’, aiming to make luxury clothing that’ll eventually assist the poorest and most vulnerable in society, to create a change for our continent and to create a new future for our youth.

Her label focuses on unveiling the lives of women of colour. Sindiso’s most recent collection is based on Sara Forbes Bonetta, a Yoruba princess who was sold into slavery in the mid-1800s, then later freed, taken to England, and adopted as a goddaughter by Queen Victoria. Her work is somewhat of an ode to African folk tales, which she executes via handmade prints. As a young Black woman living with freedoms that were not afforded to her mother and grandmother, Sindiso feels a responsibility to tell these stories.

Through previously studying architecture, Sindiso has witnessed the cross-pollination between architecture and fashion disciplines. Both are based on structure, space and shape and are also basic necessities to human life – clothing and shelter. So the transition from the one to the other was smooth for her. In this latest collection, her approach was a very architectural one. Like an architect, she is always challenging the materials she’s confronted with and debates the relationship between the body and the garment, using the body as her main context and site for inspiration. Sindiso is committed to threading her own life, dreams and ramblings into her designs. This is what makes her work so personal and unique - it is an extension of her true self

FASHION FUNDI

David Tlale

This fashion icon needs no introduction at all – David Tlale talks on AFI Joburg Fashion Week and showcasing his latest Covid-conscious collection.

‘RISE FROM THE ASHES’ (2020)

David’s latest offering is titled Rise from the Ashes. The designer publicly expressed that he drew inspiration from our current times, zooming in on the fact that everyone has lost loved ones, people have lost their jobs, and everything else in between too. David believes that fashion and art can be cathartic; that as a creative it’s his responsibility to inspire people, now more than ever, and this is what he hopes to achieve through this collection. In terms of his garments, the lines he has used are very clean and elegant. His colour scheme begins with white and travels through to nude shades and then an almost-yellow hue, which is indicative of sun rays - a theme of hope. David’s silhouettes are all about chic and beauty. As much as people are working from home, the designer still wants people to look and feel beautiful from inside out.

David has previously had the honour of experiencing fashion weeks in the USA and the UK too, taking him to all new heights as a renowned fashion guru. Whether it’s in London, Paris or New York, it’s clear that fashion internationally is on another level. David, however, is a huge advocate for uplifting the South African fashion landscape, based on everything he has already had the chance to learn. In South Africa, Fashion Week takes on a very small scale at present, and is still gradually blooming. David has high hopes for the future of South African fashion designers.

DAVID ON LOCAL BRANDS:

“We need to support local brands, and get rid of this mentality that someone must go and showcase in New York or London first for you to start appreciating them. It’s very important to realise what we have around us. It’s shocking how Mam’ Esther Mahlangu has been around for so many years, and only now people are starting to pay attention, just because her Ndebele designs have been showcased in London and Paris. Let’s appreciate what we have here and work on excelling it.”

FAST FACTS

Accreditation(s):Fashion Design Certification, Vaal University of Technology

Hometown: Vosloorus. Gauteng

and Fashion Awards(ASFAs) Lifestyle/Style and Fashion Icon Achievement Award (2016)& Continental style & fashion influencer – Male Designer

SOPRANO SONGSTRESS

Pretty Yende

Once just a small town girl in Piet Retief, Mpumalanga, soprano superstar Pretty Yende has ascended to all-new heights in the opera world – and this is just the beginning…

Living her younger years in Piet Retief, South Africa, Pretty was blessed with God-given singing abilities, but she had not grown fond of opera until she was 16 years old. Pretty stepped onto the Met Opera stage by the age of 27, after engaging in rigorous vocal training. She graduated from the South African College of Music (where she studied under Virginia Davids, the first Black woman to sing in operas in Apartheid South Africa), and the La Scala Theatre Academy. By the time that she reached New York, she was on the heels of major acclaim from performing Musetta in Puccini’s La Bohème at La Scala, and she later received a plethora of awards partaking in opera galas and contests throughout Europe.

Pretty Yende is popularly known for playing the first Black Lucia at the Lincoln Centre, which is a huge accolade for such a young songstress. Being the first Black person to have a new production of La Traviata in Opera Garnier in Paris is anything but a ‘small feat’.

Remaining humble, however, she is an avid advocate for art which allows people to experience a universal language of love through music. Yende has strong hopes that artistic communities, including the opera industry, will lend a hand in teaching society about equality and diversity through visceral experiences and deep messages in their artworks.

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED SO FAR: There will always be risks in life, but calculated risks are always worth the shot.

FAST FACTS

Accreditation(s): South African College of Music Qualification, 2011 graduate of the Young Artists Accademia of the Teatro alla Scala

Hometown: Piet Retief, Mpumalanga

Albums: Dreams (2017), A Journey (2016)

Awards: First artist in the history of the Belvedere competition to win top prize in every category,

First Prize winner in the Operalia Competition(2011)

BEYOND THE FRAME

Jahmil Qubeka

Award-winning film director, Jahmil Qubeka, talks about his globally recognised, quintessential South African film, Knuckle City.

As an idea, Knuckle City was growing in Jahmil Qubeka’s creative mind and heart for years. It was not until producer and editor, Layla Swart, and Jamil became partners, that the project was able to lift off, finding a home at Mzansi Magic who were determined to enter the premium feature film market. In the Mzansi Magic team, Jamil found partners who shared a collective desire to grow indigenous cinema-going audiences.

It was not difficult for him to then delve into the required research because he’d already developed such a keen interest in professional boxing. Jamil and his team then quickly reached out to a lot of professionals for assistance and many of them came to the party. From the likes of trainer extraordinaire, Vido Madikane, to current world champion Xolani Tete’sstable, he had the honour of working with the likes of former SA champion Loyiso Mtya and former two-time world champion, ‘Showtime’ Yekeni.

Making the film was definitely a ‘homecoming’ of sorts for the filmmaker. Having grown up in the same streets, that he was now shooting a major motion picture in, was remarkable. Whilst shooting the film, the people of Mdantsane and Buffalo City were vocal in their support of the project, and it was evident right from the get-go that the community was eager to make this film with Jamil and his team.

The film offers viewers a visceral experience of what it’s like to be punched repeatedly. So in choreographing the fights, Jamil referenced an old PlayStation game called Fight Night. In it, there is a point of view mode that gives you a really dynamic perspective of being the actual fighter in the ring. Cleverly, Jamil applied this same technique to the cinematography and the results were amazing.

Conclusively, Jamil hopes audiences will see how we all have had a role to play in the propping up of what he terms the, ‘pseudo identity of the macho man’, which is shaped around toxic habits and ways of being. Through his film, he hopes to incite widespread change in society.

FAST FACTS

Hometown: Mdantsane, Eastern Cape

Awards: Golden Horn Award for Best Achievement in Script in a Feature Film (2014), Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Director (2019), Golden Horn Award for Best Achievement in Directing in a Feature Film (2020)

FILMOGRAPHY

2006: Shogun Khumalo Is Dying! (short)

2010: A Small Town Called Descent

2013: Of Good Report

2018: Sew the Winter to My Skin 2

019: Knuckle City