Qhamanande Maswana

STATEMENT

My practice functions as a vehicle through which I connect with people and oneself. Initially i would go out in the streets with the intention of engaging with people I come across, strangers, acquaintances and friends alike. I would start conversations with them and ask to take them photographs that would serve as references for my portrait paintings.

This approach enabled me to come to grips with their realities and to establish a resource for intimate and authentic representations as I seek to capture the essence of their personalities and their relationship to the environment. This method of engagement was crucial to my process as it was my source of inspiration and it infused my practice with layers of narrative and meaning.

I expanded beyond simple portraiture as a way of blending who I was with who I have become, touching on themes of memory and culture integration to represent the blend of different cultures and ideologies that I have encountered, especially in a cosmopolitan city like Johannesburg. This clash of worlds sparked a fascination with cultural hybridity and the potential of fusion.

The other subject that takes great form in my work is myself, I use self imaging as a means of exploration and introspection. However, my approach differs in that I focus on everyday moments, capturing myself alone in my room, engaged in mundane activities. This contrast highlights my desire to explore the ordinary, the private, and the introspective through self portraiture.

This intimate setting allows for a profound level of self-reflection and vulnerability, capturing myself in various states and moments, creating a sense of joy and safety dissociated from the dangers and challenges of the outside world.

Through this process I’m not only learning about myself but also allowing viewers to see themselves in my experiences, asking questions like, What does it mean to be a black man in this world? How do I navigate vulnerability and strength? What is the value of introspection and self love?

Initially I experimented with the traditional brown tones of black skin but I was keen to differentiate my portraiture and purple just felt right, my use of purple to depict the skin colour of black subjects was a deliberate choice, rooted in the symbolism of purple as a colour of royalty and power. This association has its roots in ancient civilisations, where purple was a rare and valuable dye, extracted from the secretions of the murex snail. The expense and difficulty of producing purple made it accessible only to the elite, hence its connection to royalty and power.

By using purple to paint black skin, I am reclaiming and redefining the narrative of blackness, elevating my subjects to a status of royalty and power. This is particularly significant in the context of black portraiture representation in the history of painting, where black subjects have often been marginalised, stereotyped or excluded.

The use of purple also refers to the rich cultural heritage of Africa, where purple is a symbolic colour in many cultures, representing spirituality, creativity, and wisdom.

I want to create a powerful visual language that challenges dominant narratives and celebrates the beauty and power of blackness while serving as a powerful reminder of the royalty and power that has always existed within black communities.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2021, LEAVING BEHIND YESTERDAY. 99LOOP GALLERY, CAPETOWN.

2022, EXTRA ORDINAY PEOPLE. 99LOOP GALLERY, CAPE TOWN.

2024, AFFINITIES. 99LOOP GALLERY, CAPE TOWN.

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2016, JUST PAINTING. NELSON MANDELA METROPOLITAN ART MUSEUM, PORT ELIZABETH

2018, SIGNS OF THE TIMES. GALERIE NOKO, PORT ELIZABETH.

2018, NEW DAWN. ECLECTICA DESIGN ART, CAPE TOWN

2020, THREAD. MM ART HOUSE, JOHANNESBURG

2020, IN THE MAKING. ASSOCIATION FOR VISUAL ARTS GALLERY, CAPE TOWN

2021, EVERYTHING WAS BEAUTIFUL AND NITHING HURT. KEYS ART MILE, JOHANNESBURG.

2021, COMING IN COMING OUT. PRIOR ARTSPACE, BELIN,GERMANY.

2022, THAT WILDERNESS WITHIN. PRIOR ARTSPACE, BARCELONA.

2023, UNFETTERED. MITOCHONDRIA ART GALLERY, HOUSTON, TEXAS.

ART FAIRS

2022, INVESTEC CAPETOWN ART FAIR, 99LOOP GALLERY, CAPE TOWN.

2024, INVESTEC CAPETOWN ART FAIR, 99LOOP GALLERY, CAPE TOWN.

2024, 1:54 CONTEMPORARY AFRICAN ART FAIR, SPIER ARTS TRUST. LONDON, UK

RESIDENCIES

2023 Schutz art museum. Austria, Engelhartszell.