By bringing together the African and Western Cultures, a total rebirth of humanity is conceived, believes KwaZakhele-born artist Thembalethu Manqunyana, 34.
In his series of works, Western African Ideology, on display at the GFI Art Gallery in Park Drive, Manqunyana intertwines Western and African theories to reflect one identity.
The series is inspired by US artist Jean-Michel Basquiat’s abstract Expressionist art movement and Spanish painter Pablo Picasso’s Cubism.
“Art is a universal tool that has always existed in both the African and Western cultures, but both cultures have viewed and used it differently,” Manqunyana said.
The artist has broken the visual barriers between the two art forms, gelling into his own liberal movement which he calls Free Form. His non-conformist art is reflective of his free thinking.
The colourful series blends a Basquiat-inspired depiction of the non-physical essence of a subject, with a Picasso-inspired depiction of exaggerated physical features.
As with any visual artist blessed with the ability to express himself through his handiwork, Manqunyana struggles – and almost refuses – to put his art into words.
“I paint from the heart. All that I put on [canvas] comes from my own personal feelings and is not meant to be translated,” he said.
Just as it is regularly said that IsiXhosa asitolikwa, a saying that ironically translates to “Xhosa cannot be translated”, Manqunyana’s bold and dramatic series is simply for the eye to consume.
Manqunyana is deeply spiritual and paints in his intimate studio, in his Richmond hill flat, based on spiritual inspiration.
“I don’t just paint to figure out what I am painting at a later stage, instead I start painting knowing exactly what the end-product will be,” he said.
On the opening night of his exhibition, Manqunyana presented the audience with a live drawing while wearing an African mask which also played a part in inspiring the Western African Ideology series. Both the drawing and mask are on display at the gallery.
Western African Ideology is Manqunyana’s third solo exhibition following his debut at ArtEC in 2017, and the recent My Portrait Has Different Colours, which he held at Stellenbosch’s MOK Gallery in October. He is no newcomer to the Nelson Mandela Bay arts fraternity and the lengthy list of collaborations with other artists and involvement in uplifting the fraternity speak to the fact.
Although born in Port Elizabeth, Manqunyana has lived in several cities including Cape Town, travelling due to his parents’ military and navy career demands.
“I started drawing at a very young age and pursued art studies through my interest from when I was young,” he said.
He studied art and design at the Port Elizabeth College, fine art sculpture at the Nelson Mandela University (then Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University) and also has a bachelor’s degree of fine art which includes politics, psychology, art history, visual culture and Xhosa.
The 2015 winner of the Most Promising Artist in the Eastern Cape in ArtEC’s annual exhibition was among the group of Nelson Mandela University students who created the statuesque icons of Robert Sobukwe, Nelson Mandela, Lillian Ngoyi and Govan Mbeki on display at the Athenaeum.
Manqunyana has over the years encouraged arts education among younger pupils in the townships.
He was as involved in Telling Our Story, the arts and teaching initiatives’ public project sculpture for Sydenham Primary School, in which a group of art students from the Nelson Mandela University created sculptures for the school.
Western African Ideology runs until November 30. The gallery is open from 10am to 4pm on weekdays and 10am to 1pm on Saturdays.