Up for the challenge: Art exhibition highlights struggles of township life in informal settlement
An extraordinary solo exhibition is making waves in the art scene – Challenges by Welkom-born artist Nkoali Nawa.
Challenges is a powerful narrative that delves into the raw struggles observed and personally experienced by Nawa in the informal settlement of Mfuleni.
The artist transforms his experiences into 10 compelling charcoal drawings that intricately explore themes of identity, belonging, and the intricate tapestry of navigating cultural differences.
Nawa started his working life in the mines in Welkom, where he grew up.
This industry is indelibly linked to South Africa’s social and political history, driving the development of towns and cities and some of the exploitative and sometimes dehumanising practices historically tied to it.
Working at the coalface of this industry and having first-hand experience of it has shaped Nawa’s outlook as an artist.
Nawa always has in mind a story he wishes to tell, in this instance the challenges he noticed and personally faced in Mfuleni, where he lived for some time with his son.
He returns to his photographic archive regularly, selecting different images and piecing them together in creating a narrative. He aims to recreate a social scene, even though perhaps not all the images were taken in the same setting or year.
Working on drawings that relate to each other in terms of subject-matter suits his manner of working as he rarely works on one drawing at a time, preferring to move between multiple works simultaneously.
In translating photographs into drawings, he is not completely faithful to reality.
He adapts the images to suit a composition that pleases his eye and offers a candid glimpses of reality.
Challenges invites viewers to connect with the artist’s journey and reflect on their triumphs over adversity and can be viewed at the Sisonke Gallery at Cape Heritage Hotel at 90 Bree Street until December 3.
Cape Times