A young man from Idutywa appears to his elders to be a daring beacon of hope for his peers and a symbol of eccentricity to those watching from afar.
These roles fuse to make a Nelson Mandela University design student and illustrator “The 21st Century Black Man”, – which is how he describes himself.
Masonwabe Ntloko, 22, defines a 21st Century Black Man as someone who possesses the ability to serve as a bridge between the old and the new through his work.
This is a fitting description as he is about to embark on his new venture as art director for South African award-winning rapper Shane Eagle’s upcoming debut album tour.
“For me, the 21st Century Black Man is what I’m doing – using the ways of today to teach people of today about their history.”
He describes his work as a symphonic blend of authentic African ideas and modern unorthodox trends, a religiously visible trait in his artworks.
Ntloko was recently appointed as art director for Eagle’s upcoming album (Yellow) tour, months after the rapper came across Ntloko’s work when he was art director for a collaboration show by rapper Frank Casino, Kulture Kollective and Castle Lite late last year.
“From then I just kept in touch with Kulture Kollective and did a couple more projects for Castle Lite here and there,” he said.
The trailblazing creative is also the art director for The Threaded Man, an online fashion portal founded by Siya Beyile.
Ntloko’s pride and appreciation for the African culture saw him become part of a team of stylists who put together hip-hop artist Khuli Chana’s look for last year’s Grammy Awards.
However, the designer speaks modestly of the experience.
“The reason I don’t really talk much about it is . . . you know when it’s not really your thing, you don’t want to walk around claiming it.”
Ntloko was an intern at Maxhosa by Laduma when he met Chana, who needed help with his outfit. Impressed by Ntloko’s beaded signature hats, he inquired about the style . . . and the rest is history.
Ntloko was featured as one of the country’s emerging creatives at this year’s Design Indaba.
After taking last year off to focus on his career, he returned to Port Elizabeth this year to juggle his studies and a promising career.
It was during his “gap year” that Ntloko officially introduced himself to the Johannesburg market with his 21 Portraits exhibition in Newtown, where he showcased illustrations of 21 of the most influential people in South Africa, including DJ Black Coffee and hip-hop artist Cassper Nyovest. Some of the celebs featured bought his works.
Eagle’s Yellow tour, which launched with a pop-up shop in Johannesburg on Saturday, starts in Cape Town on August 31 and ends in Braamfontein on December 7, with a stop at PE’s The Gallery in Produce Street on October 26 at 7pm.