THEMBA MWANZA

Themba Mwanza (b.1998) is a South African multidisciplinary artist in Johannesburg. Born in Mpumalanga, his love for art spans back to his early childhood whilst living there, inspired by his father's caricatures, his older cousin's drawings, artworks he'd see in church, and a myriad of works he'd come across in various media such as comic and storybooks, films, music videos and animation.

He completed his BA in Fine Art at the University of Witwatersrand in 2020, and his studies there led to the conception of his iteration of the prestigious BMW art car series, a 325i titled the "Mangobe Gado Gusheshe", which drew inspiration from his commutes to and from varsity in the Metrorail trains. BMW South Africa and the Wits School of Arts made this project possible through collaboration.

His current practice centres on portrait and figurative paintings of his family, close friends, and peers.

ARTIST STATEMENT

“My art, at its core, is a communication between my current self and my younger self. When I make work, it’s rooted in the motivation to create the art I always wanted to make as a child, so there’s a particular softness and sometimes playfulness that I try to extract from my being and translate into my practice. At this point in my life, I’m motivated by the responsibility and journey of embracing the need to grow. This allows me to step into the roles of being a farmer and a seedling simultaneously with my art. In my interactions with my family, close friends, peers and even strangers, I remind myself that there will always be something to learn, which feeds my growth as a seedling. Then, when I’m in the studio, I become the farmer and sow seeds with my paintings, which I hope will lead to a ripple effect of inspiration. My experience thus far as an artist mirrors my childhood and the subjects in my work remind me of the kids who would encourage me to come outside and play. So my work, more than anything, is honouring these people who have sparked inspiration in me and my craft.”