Sinalo Ngcaba’s Illustrated Worlds of Richness and Joy, in Service of Community

Oct 20, 2022 | Interviews, Art

Illustration is a profound visual languaging; and it is one such medium I often find myself most enamoured by. To describe the likeness of one’s inner-world – characters, world-building, motifs and mood – stands at the highest level of artistic expression. Sinalo Ngcaba is one of the leading illustrators in South Africa; and with her work, I get the overt sense that drawing has perhaps always been a method with which she has interpreted reality. Sinalo’s visual languaging is a deep, vivid expression of the Black, South African experience; punctuated by colour, characters and a mood so tangibly relevant in creating narratives of creative nourishment. Working closely with client collaborations from Nike to Sindiso Khumalo, Sinalo was featured this year in Volume 2 of ‘By Way of Illustration’, a book series highlighting the formidable illustrators in South Africa in the past few years. An artist like Sinalo is shaping the creative symbols of culture; unique, and so directly from her heart and mind. 

“I’ve always been interested in art, from a very young age. I was an only child, so being creative was part of play for me, growing up. I was raised by my grandparents, and my grandmother worked with kids her whole career – so she would give me these activities that really inspired me, and nurtured my abilities. Even in primary school, I was drawing my classmates – and then in high school, I chose creative subjects like design, focusing on textile designs. Most of what I do today is self-taught.” Sinalo says, on where her artistic beginnings emerged. As a self-taught artist, Sinalo is constantly playing with varying styles and methods – and her development has been outside of ‘traditional’ or constricted ways of drawing. On her process, Sinalo explains, “It’s taken me a long time to build these characters. My art has transitioned a lot and I’ve tried so many styles. I’m at a point now where I combine all the things I’ve enjoyed trying, and I love things that awaken me. I use my art to motivate myself – the use of bold colours, and humorous motifs – these come from me wanting to see and feel better. I see now how this has touched other people’s hearts, and I always believe that the heart reaches the heart. I am having fun with what I create, and I think that’s the single most important purpose I can maintain in my work. I’m really into exaggerating lips, or eyes – there is a lot of freedom in being able to take what I’m inspired by, and then create it through different ways. That’s what makes me feel alive.”

 A critical topic among illustrators and in drawing as a practice, is the hybridisation of the art-form; today, the pressure has never been greater to transition to digital methods of creating, with many artists translating their tangible mediums through technological tools and programs. Sinalo comments on what this has meant for her rich world-creating, “Pen and paper is my first medium – I really honed it in high school, and after school I learned some Photoshop and Illustrator. I’ve found that merging the two brings together a really beautiful experience of what both mediums have to offer. I draw, and then take an image and colour it on Illustrator – and now, I’m using Procreate more. It gives me the best of both worlds. Now, I sometimes sketch digitally – but the traditional way will always be what I return to.” A key element woven tenderly into Sinalo’s work are her ‘squigglies’ – “I call them squigglies, and I include them in all of my work, someway or somehow. That’s my finger-print – every time they take form in my work, it’s in a  different or new way.”

Sinalo’s work effortlessly retains the authenticity of analog expression; it is clearly and precisely art, over perhaps graphic design. Right now, she is a resident of Bubblegum Club’s Bubblegum Gallery Program – a month-long studio experience, culminating in a final showcase. Sinalo explains the challenge she has set for herself within this space, “I’m using oil-pastels for these works. I only started with oil-pastels earlier this year, so it’s a challenge – a new frontier – but I’m going really big too, with the pieces. I’m excited to see myself push this hard in a short amount of time, it’s bringing through a new sense of routine. It’s adding another layer of being a professional artist – I think previously, it’s been such an intuitive process to make work, but now I am doing it within a specific framework.” Emerging as an artist has happened primarily on social media or through word-of-mouth – with the internet being Sinalo’s foremost home for her work, “I have relied on social media for my work to be showcased. It’s a really exciting space to be in, to see new possibilities of my work existing in other forms, like in exhibitions or on products. Now, I’m trying to learn the business side – pricing and costing are still uncomfortable things to talk about, but we have to be able to value ourselves and our creativity. I’m leaning on other artists and friends to navigate the more ‘career’ aspects of being an artist.”

 

Sinalo is taking root as an essential artistic figure in South Africa. As this happens, Sinalo’s commitment to community continues to form part of her purpose. Perfect Weather Skate Foundation was started by her partner, and together they run this hugely important space consisting of competitions, workshops and events – teaching kids life-skills through skateboarding, and providing safe spaces for growth and creativity. Sinalo says, “There are small groups of people driving skateboarding in the country, but there is no government intervention or support. With it being an Olympic sport now, and with how much talent we have in South Africa, we really aim to foster kids to grow. We get help from Puma, Sportscene and BOS Ice-Tea. It’s almost two years old – and my dream is to incorporate art into it more. A lot of young skaters are into art, so we are hoping to create spaces where the two can intersect.” 

With a bright and beautiful road ahead – Sinalo tells me there are exciting things to be announced at the end of the year. We cannot wait to see how much joy it will bring to fans of her work, and the future for so many around her. 

Written by: Holly Beaton

For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

He said, She said, They said – Navigating preferred pronouns and affirming identities

Oct 19, 2022 | Lifestyle

I recently had an experience where I introduced myself to someone, “Hello, I’m Casey. It’s lovely to meet you”, I said in a friendly and clear tone. “O hello, JC, it’s good to meet you”, the person replied. His tonality carried a sense of certainty and security that he seemed awfully proud of. “Sorry, maybe you misheard. It’s Casey, not JC,” this time, making sure there wouldn’t be any chance that the person might mishear me. “Ahh, like a K and C, why don’t you use your full names?” the person asked. Needless to say, I was perplexed by someone else making such broad-stroke assumptions about my name, how it is spelt and its meaning. To be frank, the whole experience left me pretty hurt. There’s something so intimate and intrinsic in the way our names or chosen names are linked to our identities. This feeling of rejection made its way deep into every fibre of my body. A feeling that the person I was interacting with failed to acknowledge and accept my very identity, that they had in some way rejected my sense of self. I snapped back into the moment to be met by the final nail in the coffin. “I’m going for a drink, it was good meeting you, JC.”

For: Contributor magazine Styled by Ky Boshoff. Model: Thapelo Mofokeng. Wearing: Trotse Tert. TV visuals: @nikibotha 

Although my long-winded, silly little sob story may seem like a plea for some attention, that short interaction at least attempts to serve as a poignant albeit silly starting point to a broader and far more important conversation regarding identity and the way in which the words and language we adopt go a long way in affirming and unfortunately also denying our self-actualised identities. Maybe I place a far greater emphasis on the weightiness of words due to my job, where words and sentences are carefully curated to paint thoughts and musings across a blank canvas, but history has often showcased just how destructive or uplifting the tongue can be. Words, in truth, can be the very foundation we cling to in hopes of building a better future, or they can be the sledgehammer that tears down all possibilities. It is a tool used to spread love, care and affection or a weapon that cultivates hate, disdain and anger. 

For: Contributor magazine Styled by Ky Boshoff. Model: Thapelo Mofokeng. Wearing: Trotse Tert. TV visuals: @nikibotha 

With this in mind, I want to talk today about pronouns but, more specifically, the importance of preferred pronouns and why all of us should take the utmost care in respecting and acknowledging whatever pronouns someone chooses. I purposefully decided to share my stupid little story in the intro because it is something we can all relate to. Someone has gotten our name horrendously wrong at some point in our lives. Whether that be the often comical spelling of your name on your Starbucks order or that one colleague or client that seemingly uses a different spelling of your name in every email. Some may find these little errors funny at first, but if it’s something that happens over and over again, it ends up being an incredibly infuriating and hurtful experience. My question then to us all is if we place such importance on being correct when we address people by their names, why do we seem not to use the same care and consideration when we use pronouns? This becomes all the more perplexing when we look at the very function of pronouns within language. In this context, pronouns are used to replace someone’s name when referring to them. When one considers this, it would seem ridiculous to refer to someone by the wrong name, yet there is often a disregard for using people’s preferred pronouns. Just like given or chosen names, pronouns are intrinsically linked to one’s identity and thus should be treated with the same amount of care and consideration. As paediatric psychologist Tabi Evans (they/them) states, “Using a person’s correct pronouns is important because it affirms that person’s identity, helps them feel comfortable in their own body, and shows that you respect them for who they are.” 

Fashion Director: Ky Boshoff. Fashion Assistant: Teagan van Zyl. Hair & Makeup: Toni Greenberg. Model: Bethany De Waal. Published by @twygmag. Wearing:Lara Klawikowski 

I think the issue often lies in the fact that many people believe gender and sex can be used as interchangeable terms. This is something that is inherently problematic, as the two terms don’t correlate at all. Glen Hosking (he/him), a senior clinical psychology lecturer at the University of Victoria, explains it as such. “While people may use the terms sex and gender interchangeably, they mean different things. Sex refers to the physical differences between people who are female, male, or intersex. A person typically has their sex assigned at birth based on physiological characteristics, including their genitalia and chromosome composition. This is distinct from gender, which is a social construct and reflects the social and cultural role of sex within a given community. People often develop their gender identity and gender expression in response to their environment. While gender has been defined as binary in Western culture, gender is on a broad spectrum; a person may identify at any point within this spectrum or outside of it entirely. Gender is not neatly divided along the binary lines of “man” and “woman”. People may identify with genders that are different from sex assigned at birth, some people do not identify with any gender, while others identify with multiple genders. These identities may include transgender, nonbinary, or gender-neutral. Only the person themselves can determine what their gender identity is, and this can change over time.” 

It is apparent that the younger generation is far more accepting and determined when it comes to respecting the preferred pronouns of their peers, friends and colleagues. Without shifting blame onto the older generation, I think some myths need to be dispelled regarding gender identity and its prominence in modern discourse. So often, we hear the excuse that kids today are just making things overly complicated or that we are simply making up new gender terms for no reason. First and foremost, I think the article up until now has proved why these terms and expansion in language are necessary with regard to gender. Secondly, I would like to dispel the myth that grappling with and exploring gender identity outside the traditional binary boxes is somehow a new phenomenon. In truth, many indigenous communities had far more liberal notions concerning gender identity than the binary identities many people cling to today. As Nigerian scholar and sociologist, Oyèrónkẹ́ Oyěwùmí (she/her)  states, “gender as a concept didn’t even exist within Yoruba culture and society before the arrival of Western colonisers.”. Similarly, we may look at the fact that Native American societies acknowledged and highly respected a gender spectrum that included female, male, Two Spirit female, Two Spirit male and transgendered individuals before the arrival of colonial powers.

Admittedly this article may come across as a cis-gendered, heterosexual, white Afrikaans man seemingly telling you what to do and why it is important and who the hell am I to even do that? However minor these issues may seem to some, you have to consider that for many others, these issues are inherently linked to their own safety and sense of self. Elle van der Burg (she/they) is a trans woman (albeit she is far more than that) that I have had the absolute pleasure of meeting and talking to. She puts this sentiment beautifully, “at the end of the day, as trivial as personal identity can seem to people on the periphery, it is ultimately a matter of life and death for the people who are on the receiving end of being misgendered.” 

Writer and dear friend, Lindiwe Mngxitama (she/they) poignantly reminds me of the meaning laden within correctly and respectfully speaking to and of people,“We need to meet people where they are at. We speak about gender in a language that is very much white, academic and inaccessible to many people, and I think that can be threatening, particularly in this age of political correctness, where we are not holding space for people to arrive at these conversations imperfectly. I’d rather someone arrive imperfectly and show up to do the work, show up to learning rather than needing them to show up to these conversations perfectly using the right discourse that we get from academia. At the crux of it, it is holding space for people’s humanity, holding space for people to articulate who they are without imposing a violence of wanting to understand them from your perspective.”

It is in this very sentiment that I want to root this article. We may arrive imperfectly into discourse and discussion that seem new and challenging to us, but we owe it to those around us, regardless of where they fall on the gender spectrum, to arrive willingly in the first place. There is no time like the here and now to start our journey of unlearning narrow-minded ideas and expanding our care and compassion, for it is that sense of community that truly makes us human.

GENDER PRONOUN INDEX:

If you’re unclear, just ask.

A few standard ones to note:

He / Him : Someone who identifies as male

She / Her : Someone who identifies as female

They / Them : Someone who identifies outside of the gender binary of male or female, referred to as non-binary

 

Below is taken from NPR’s ‘A Guide to Understanding Gender Identity Terms’ 

Sex refers to a person’s biological status and is typically assigned at birth, usually on the basis of external anatomy. Sex is typically categorized as male, female or intersex.

Gender is often defined as a social construct of norms, behaviours and roles that varies between societies and over time. Gender is often categorized as male, female or nonbinary.

Gender identity is one’s own internal sense of self and their gender, whether that is man, woman, neither or both. Unlike gender expression, gender identity is not outwardly visible to others.

For most people, gender identity aligns with the sex assigned at birth, the American Psychological Association notes. For transgender people, gender identity differs in varying degrees from the sex assigned at birth.

Gender expression is how a person presents gender outwardly, through behaviour, clothing, voice or other perceived characteristics. Society identifies these cues as masculine or feminine, although what is considered masculine or feminine changes over time and varies by culture.

Cisgender, or simply cis, is an adjective that describes a person whose gender identity aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth.

Transgender, or simply trans, is an adjective used to describe someone whose gender identity differs from the sex assigned at birth. A transgender man, for example, is someone who was listed as female at birth but whose gender identity is male.

Cisgender and transgender have their origins in Latin-derived prefixes of “cis” and “trans” — cis, meaning “on this side of” and trans, meaning “across from” or “on the other side of.” Both adjectives are used to describe experiences of someone’s gender identity.

Nonbinary is a term that can be used by people who do not describe themselves or their genders as fitting into the categories of man or woman. A range of terms are used to refer to these experiences; nonbinary and genderqueer are among the terms that are sometimes used. 

Agender is an adjective that can describe a person who does not identify as any gender.

Gender-expansive is an adjective that can describe someone with a more flexible gender identity than might be associated with a typical gender binary.

Gender transition is a process a person may take to bring themselves and/or their bodies into alignment with their gender identity. It’s not just one step. Transitioning can include any, none or all of the following: telling one’s friends, family and co-workers; changing one’s name and pronouns; updating legal documents; medical interventions such as hormone therapy; or surgical intervention, often called gender confirmation surgery.

Gender dysphoria refers to psychological distress that results from an incongruence between one’s sex assigned at birth and one’s gender identity. Not all trans people experience dysphoria, and those who do may experience it at varying levels of intensity.

Sexual orientation refers to the enduring physical, romantic and/or emotional attraction to members of the same and/or other genders, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and straight orientations.

People don’t need to have had specific sexual experiences to know their own sexual orientation. They need not have had any sexual experience at all. They need not be in a relationship, dating or partnered with anyone for their sexual orientation to be validated. For example, if a bisexual woman is partnered with a man, that does not mean she is not still bisexual.

Sexual orientation is separate from gender identity. As GLAAD notes, “Transgender people may be straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual or queer. For example, a person who transitions from male to female and is attracted solely to men would typically identify as a straight woman. A person who transitions from female to male and is attracted solely to men would typically identify as a gay man.”

Intersex is an umbrella term used to describe people with differences in reproductive anatomy, chromosomes or hormones that don’t fit typical definitions of male and female.

Model: Raphael Blue
Model: Jeremy Pelser (self-portrait)
All images by Jeremy Pelser.
Written by: Casey Delport

For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

‘EATING GOOD’ – a mixtape by sandrahhh & nash

Oct 18, 2022 | New Release, Music

“EATING GOOD” is a hip-hop/rap audio-visual reflection of __sandrahhh and the FTL Radio Team’s dedication to excellence and personal development in the most animated and cinematic ways possible. A proclamation that it is indeed time for them all to enjoy the fruits they’ve reaped from their labour of love when it comes to music and their individual efforts as everyday people. It is an intentional passion project between her and label head/main producer at FTL Radio, Nash. Their aim was not to overthink anything and deliver a solid project built on their unique finesse alongside a handful of some of their favourite local creatives within the music industry.

Here is a link to the project which you can stream on a DSP of your choice: “EATING GOOD”

B.T.S: “EATING GOOD” Behind The Scenes

“Graduation Freestyle” Music Video: “GRADUATION FREESTYLE” Music Video

“10th Str: Blue Room Episode”: Blue Room: 10th Str

 

South African Electronica’s Prodigal Son, Felix Laband

Oct 14, 2022 | Interviews, Music

Life is complicated. Messy – beautiful, fleeting – wrought with duality at any given moment, on any given day. Our voice at Connect Everything Collective hinges on the immense fascination and respect that we have for human creativity – and in our context, the way this creative anima is reflected throughout South Africa. At the altar of musical and artistic salvation stands a figure for whom this reflection has been underway since the mid ‘90s – for many of our readers, this is a lifetime. Felix Laband can be seen in images with his brow knit fervently – eyes piercing into the camera, laced over with a thousand stories of life as a South African musician; escaping, returning back, this movement through his career bound by an interest – like many great artists – that is piqued wholly by the inextricable void that from where creativity is most often derived; existentialism, and the effect that the very act of existing has on our very strange, very uncertain human lives. 

Felix’s talent for collage – both visually and sonically – is underpinned by a phrase he stated many years ago, that ‘copy and paste is my mantra’. His musical journey begins like any punk kid’s should; in a thrash band, in ‘95 in a barely democratic country relinquishing the chokehold held on it by evil fascists. Then, as any punk born in a fastly-futuristic, digital world with many things to say, might do – Felix’s left turn towards electronic music remains his most potent seat of creation. Like a South African version darting out from the Gods’ that forged Aphex Twin; in many ways, Felix is a seminal leader of electronic music in the country, and nothing will really ever change that. Even with bouts of absence from the scene, which we get to later, the melodic – wildly touching and igniting – Laband-esque soundscape ambiently stretch across from his debut album in 2001, Thin Shoes in June, to Deaf Safari in 2015 – as if he has always been here – his creativity unencumbered by personal struggles. Now, with a new album set to release – ‘The Soft White Hand’ – Felix offers Candice and I insight into the chamber of reflection that are his thoughts and feelings. 

Within Felix’s discography, and notably for Deaf Safari, are samples pulled from the miasma of socio-political activity in South Africa – an audio collage of the media landscape surrounding Felix’s existence in the culmination to its release in 2015. This caveat of Felix’s style – the ability to splice together different frames of sounds into a singular musical expression – retains Felix’s irrevocable talent, and in reflection of this, he says, “I was making it from about 2007 or 2008. I had just moved back to Johannesburg, and it was cool being back – it was like actually being back in South Africa, you know? I was living in Rosebank, and I was quite engrossed in what was happening with Zuma, and the underlying political tension in the country.” For this new album, Felix has reached further back in time, to an issue symbolic of his own lived experience – and mine too. The so-called ‘war on drugs’; “This sampling is quite different. I almost felt in the making of this album, nervous even towards political sampling. It’s become so contentious and confusing; our society is so on edge and divided. So, this new album took a different turn. I got obsessed with these documentaries from the ‘80s in America about the crack-cocaine epidemic. It’s a lot more personal to me – people talking vulnerably about their addictions, the everyday chaos of using. It’s almost autobiographical in that way. It’s a lot more interesting and visceral, and I like to sample things that tell both sides of the coin; slightly humorous, but also devastating truths of society.”  

Self-disclosure as a recovering addict, this strikes to the core of my own existential battle; waged on as I have lived in and out of treatment, the rooms of Narcotic Anonymous; the demons that reverberate inside of me, at bay for now. We don’t really speak about addiction – its grip on the social fabric of the world, a symptom of socio-political, colonial legacies; and even as it singularly plagues our country, all hushed lines cut and snorted and needles strewn in city centres – we don’t really address it within creative spaces, either. Felix says, “It’s out of control in the country, we have such a fucked up drug culture. And in the states now, with the fentanyl epidemic – everyone is dying. I had the wonderful experience of ending up in prison in 2020, due to drugs, and almost everyone there was for drugs. What do people do, all day in jail? Drugs. There is no strategy for healing, really – it’s individual and community responsibility. What about the powers, higher up?” 

For Felix, and for many artists in South Africa, innate talent & an incisive viewpoint don’t really correlate to the kind of careers that people overseas, with half as such ability, can gain. So it remains the ever-dangling carrot of greener pastures overseas – Berlin as one that has beckoned Felix for years, and a path he is intent on giving a go at some point. Felix comments, saying “We have this thing in South Africa where club owners themselves think that they can play every night – alongside their friends or family. It’s the same rinse and repeat, the same setlists – the same sounds. They’re scared of any young producers emerging. The late 90s in Cape Town promised a different story, to be honest. I can be quite jaded, but I am in a fortunate position than most – I have a good listenership on streaming sites, so I can get by on royalties and not really gig anymore, and I haven’t worked in advertising in a long, long time. But as far as a different landscape, I don’t know – I’m 45 this year – going somewhere and starting fresh is something I want to do.” Candice reminisces about one of her best memories of Felix playing – in 2016, shortly after her move from Joburg – seeing him do a set on Clifton 2nd, listening on headphones – the sun setting, joints lit. What for, Felix, are historic sets for him? ‘’Kitcheners in Johannesburg remain the best memories for me. The audience was mostly black South Africans, and the support – the total acceptance – it brought my spirits back, and got me excited again. I remember that period with a lot of fondness. I had one gig at Fiction that was really great, and many bad ones too – getting kicked off the decks. In between squandering my name, I’ve felt the fire of what it means to perform, and engage with people through sound. Hopefully that will always triumph in contrast to the rest.”

Felix is a being of great contrast – and his final sentiment is a truth we hold.  In the trenches of darkness and turmoil, a light will always shine – where someone’s spirit supersedes the regrets or behaviours that may linger in the wake of their human steps. I hear this in “A True Friend Is To Find” from Felix’s Bag of Bones EP – with the opening sample, a gut-wrenching warning by Archbishop Desmond Tutu to the ANC. Tapering off into an ethereal trail of notes, layered in weight for its description of the mood of South Africa; it’s hard to make music that offers up one’s whole heart. Felix does precisely this, every time. It is my hope for any person – with something to say, with a heart on their sleeve – to be remembered for their intentions in the world. Felix’s intentions, above all else, has always been the pursuit of recklessly provoking expression; in the dullness of everyday existence, there is no greater cause.

 Felix’s new album, ‘The Soft White Hand’ will be released on November 18, 2022 – we cannot wait to hear what the master has in store for us. 

 

 

Written by: Holly Bell Beaton

For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

Nirvana Nokwe’s New EP ‘Nirvous Love’ Is a Sensual Exploration of Self

Oct 13, 2022 | New Release, Music

Featured on the cover of Apple Music’s new releases Nirvous Love is an EP that brings one’s soul on a voyage of discovery: a story of love and awakening. Being self-aware due to the replicated dynamics of destruction, betrayal and hurt created in childhood, Nirvana explores the vindictive streak to attaining the love we all deserve. With singles such as “2 Woke 4 Love” and “Waiting” laying the foundation, Nirvana delivers a cohesive and slyly eclectic body of work, rooted in retro, indie rock, Zulu drums, gqom and amapiano sounds, along with her ethereal vocal melodies and themes that dig into varying facets of the human condition. 

“This project is a language in how we define and predict love. I hope everyone can find solace and healing and be relieved from the shackles of control and being controlling. This project is the blueprint of a genre I’m pioneering called Cosmic. Definitely something many may call sonic cinema” explains Nirvana. 

 Nirvana’s storytelling is intimate, truthful and, quite literally, out of this world with her ethereal sounds and deep passions for astrology. Her personal brand encapsulates the modern-day intellectualised dreamer, reflecting on the complexities of life and her place in the world.

While she is Johannesburg born, she identifies more with her years in KwaMashu and Lamtonville, Durban. Her family is rooted in the arts, making it possible for Nirvana to have participated in the entertainment industry at 4-years-old as a professional. By the age of 10, Nirvana understood what she was doing in entertainment and concluded that she wanted to continue pursuing a career in the arts.

“Nirvana’s latest release shows the diversity, future thinking and artistic integrity she has developed over her career. With massive support from stores such as Apple Music, it’s clear that she has a lot to offer and we’re excited to hear what’s yet to come,” expresses Mike Kelly, label Manager at Paradise. 

A creative, a performer, trained singer, actress, producer, fashion model and filmmaker. These are some of the titles that can be attributed to Nirvana Nokwe. The 26-year-old hailing from Jozi is one independent to watch for. 

Stream / download Nirvous Love HERE.

Connect with Nirvana Nokwe: 

Tik Tok: nirvananokwe 

Twitter: @nirvananokwe 

Instagram: @nirvananokwe 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/NirvanaL0v3Nokwe

Distributed by Triple Double Media

Instagram: @tripled_media

Contact: [email protected]

The Provenance by Lukhanyo Mdingi, Co-curated by THEFOURTH Gallery & Morné Visagie

Oct 12, 2022 | Interviews, Art

Sartorial & artistic collisions of seismic proportions unfolded this past First Thursday, 6th October – at none other than the fastly-iconic Exchange Building. THEFOURTH Gallery, vanguards of experimental art and design in the city and country at large, co-curated alongside Morné Visagie and Lukhanyo Mdingi himself, The Provenance Part 1: an exhibition centred around Lukhanyo’s eponymous label & its originating vision. One of the first times I met Maybe Corpaci, co-founder of THEFOURTH, she echoed her dream to see the space play host to a showcase on fashion – now, a little over two years later, Cape Town welcomes a new landscape of possibility in how we understand, study, view and appreciate fashion beyond the scope of runways. It had to be THEFOURTH to do it – and Lukhanyo, too. Graciously offered the space by Lemkus, the Exchange Building owners, The Provenance is a love-letter from Lukhanyo and his team – to his collaborators and community. The opening night consecrated the space with the love that is so woven into every aspect of Lukhanyo’s vision. 

The floor-plan of the 4th floor gives way to the various thematic enclaves of the show – a multi-medium collation of the varying threads comprising Lukhanyo Mdingi; the label, and the human being. With photography by Luke Houba, a longstanding collaborator of the label, and footage from the label’s journey to Burkina Faso – the rails of calico mock-ups, and Lukhanyo’s handwritten journals with very precise instructions for his creative partner, Alex Zono – The Provenance acted as a meeting point for everyone for whom the label has meant something profound. When Lukhanyo became the recipient of the Karl Lagerfeld LVMH prize in 2021, it affirmed something many of us knew; the label is an intensely important feature of luxury South African design. Furthermore, the final collection is not always truly indicative of the deeply nuanced process undertaken to arrive – and because we couldn’t all gather in the fervour of the label’s studio in Long St, the ingenious idea to bring it forth into an exhibition format offered, too, an opportune moment for celebration. We have much to celebrate. 

The Provenance is a must see for anyone interested in the ever-manifesting narratives of healing occuring in African design; to see the praxis upon which a label such as Lukhanyo Mdingi rests. Having written some of the show’s text, I leave you with the description I worded for the show’s newspaper zine – “In conceptualising Provenance, it became unequivocally clear that there is only one place we could begin – or rather, who we would begin with. The absolute bedrock upon which Lukhanyo Mdingi has been built is among the hands; the human beings who, through the sharing of their expertise, craft and spirit, has informed the label’s intense dedication to harnessing the consciousness of human ingenuity. Clothing is a medium, and the brand itself is a vehicle; and for Lukhanyo Mdingi himself, understanding the depth of this truth has allowed the label to manifest as a collective, intrinsically community-informed vessel in which to contain its essence. This essence, referred to as the label’s cosmology, is a social, cultural and artistic revelation that continues to etch its story through each collection; and each collection is the final emblem of a vision shared and worked on together with those within his team, and his collaborators reaching from Southern Africa – up to West Africa, and around the world.”

Visit The Provenance : Part 1 at:

 THEFOURTH Gallery, 4th Floor, 28 St Georges Mall, Cape Town

Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays between 10am and 5pm

Stay tuned for information on walkabouts through the show via @___thefourth___

 

Written By: Holly Bell Beaton
For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

Photographer Paul Shiakallis on sincerity, collaboration and his standout series ‘The Queens of Marok’

Oct 11, 2022 | Interviews, Creatives

Photography is a medium for the ever-curious – creatives intent on capturing reality into archival segments, each image forming a greater narrative or story. Reality speaks itself through the lens, and particularly so for photographers like Paul Shiakallis, for whom image-making is best left unfiltered. Although a commercial photographer by day, as many have to be career-wise, Paul’s personal projects reflect the vision of photography as a socially-engaged endeavour; the pursuit of etching memories into pixels, moments into static echos of culture, community – and the human spirit. The child of Cypriot refugees from the Turkish invasion in 1974, Paul is a South African-Cypriot creative for whom the camera is his second set of eyes; often able to see what he cannot initially, and simultaneously the only tool that can capture what he does see. 

‘’I guess it started with my father taking up photography as a hobby. Having a film camera and taking snaps of family, friends – that was really formative for me. His story with photography began in Cyprus, as a teenager. I remember seeing this specific set of images he had taken of he and three friends, who were all part of a band – except himself. He was the outsider, always – a nerdy dude with a camera, on the periphery but instrumental in holding those moments. These were from the ‘60s, so the friends / band members were wearing suits – Beatles styles. He was doing a lot of selfies too. He never took it up professionally, but then I became interested in it. My dad would leave the camera, film – projectors – all the bits and pieces while he worked long hours in their shop. I loved the smell of old film, the mechanics of it. That led to learning on my own accord, and joining the photography club at school.” Paul reflects on the image-makers lineage he comes from, detailing what led to the bond between he and his father; learning to shoot, and create in this visual language. After school, Paul did what many creatives have to – negotiate their way through the initial pleas of parents to study ‘something serious, 9 – 5’ – something safe in which to contain their children’s future. On this Paul said, “I think they didn’t believe in the arts, I think they wanted me to have security. Now, I’d probably advise my own kids the same things – after getting a home loan, especially” Paul laughs, although I know he – nor any creative worth their salt – could ever really leave their desire to create at the doorstep of predictability. It is simply not in us, and so the hybridity of the commercial landscape fills that space; and personal projects manifest in between. For Paul, the interest in photographing everyday people came from working in his parents’ shop – working on the tills alongside his brothers, interacting with a variety of people from varying backgrounds and perspectives. 

 

Stylistically, I can’t help but be reminded of the great Wolfgang Tillmans when viewing Paul’s work; the casual honestly, and observational nature – the kind of photography that emerged in the 90s as an antidote to the highly glamorised, caked over editorial buzz of the previous decade. Now, we are somewhere in between; contemporary photography is a vivid spectrum of all optical possibilities. Wolfgang often muses that his works are the observations of the people around him performing – even just as themselves – putting on clothing, or draped or intertwined in poses, and that the casual nature arises from subjects arriving to the moment as much as he does. Paul’s personal projects echo this. His standout series, The Queens of Marok, has been published by over 35 online and print publications; its story of liberation for the Queens themselves, and how Paul was welcomed by this community is a lesson to be detailed on the very sacred responsibility of photographers between voyeurism, and respectful collaboration. Through a series of events, as Paul will detail soon, the metal-heads of Botswana are a vision of leather, tassels, vintage band tees – grit and defiance – a phenomenal anecdote of the punk spirit as inseparable from black consciousness. The two remain original and interdependent; no matter how white-washed ‘rock’ has come to be known.“Irreverent and dissenting from all orthodox prescriptions of what it means to be black and African, evolved a subculture of black metal heads known as the Marok. Set among ordinary and familiar surroundings, extended farm lands, endless skies, white domestic walls, worn sofas and tired kitchen cupboards, these women, some mothers and others wives, are a blunt rebellion amidst the ordinary of their lives,” says the artist statement written by Mlilo Mpondo.

The series was the outcome of a friendship for Paul – a friend who had invited him to Gaborone over the years, which for those in Gauteng – is only a mere three hour drive. On one trip, Paul went to a Woodstock festival – a Gaboronian edition of the iconic rock & folk festival – to which Paul says, “I first saw guys wearing cowboy hats, and leathers – and subsequently found out that their gear was not solely for the festival. In fact, they formed part of a larger subcultural network of metalheads. While I was there, Frank Marshall was one of the first to shoot the Marok. Suddenly a whole lot of news agencies were rocking up to have their share of what the Marok were doing. At that stage, I was watching from a distance – I didn’t really get involved. That was in 2011, and my project came about in 2014. When I found myself back in Gaborone in 2014, when my friend got married, and the day after the wedding – her dad had organised a gig. That was the first time I had ever met the women of the scene – who call themselves “queens’’. They were letting go completely – watching them in this catharsis, of being raucous, and in a way that was so free and joyful. Especially in light of how conservative Botswana is.” Across Botswana, members of Marok – even in their work attire – will have a chain or tricket, marking their allegiance to the movement. For the women, it is far more subtle – and after Paul connected with one of the Queens, he was welcomed to capture them in the intimacy of their homes and spaces. I ask, curiously, Paul’s thoughts on the line between voyeurism and earnest collaboration – particularly outside of a studio context, and within the lived spaces and context of real people. Paul speaks to this, ‘’I didn’t go to Botswana seeking out the Marok community, and by nature of hanging out in similar spaces, I was able to connect with one of the women who then introduced me to the other Queens, and who ‘vetted’ me in that way. Really, it’s about time and trust. For me, the biggest thing is also to be upfront – no hidden agendas – I always tell people I am a photographer, and offer the reason why I would like to photograph them. Whether the exchange is monetary, or them wanting prints of the work or to do family portraits afterwards – it was about being clear in my intention, and their autonomy throughout the process. Also, it’s important to note that the project wasn’t some sort of activism – as a white man, that would be really disingenuous –  but the project has had ripple effects.” 

Paul collaborated with a writer for another standout series, Cyprus for Sale – the path of collaboration being his primary interest as a creative. In a bid to recover financially from the 2008 recession, Cyprus enacted “golden VISAS’’ – granting applicants from around the world EU status and property ownership through a largely unchecked – and corrupt – path. Leading to a problem on the island of fugitives laundering money, and marginalising the local population. For Paul, this project strikes at the land of his parents being passed through many hands – not since their own move from the island in the ‘70s – and speaks to the deep disarray of financial and legal institutions endemic to the whole world. The people in the series are actors, styled and shot to mimic ordinary figures caught in this web. Paul says, “My parents were born in Cyprus and became refugees of Cyprus from the Turkish invasion of 1974; Cyprus was always a hot topic at the supper table. How they had lost their land, their properties, their farms etc. Cyprus has for centuries been a country in demand by the superpowers due to its ’strategic’ location and has endured being conquered by various nations through the ages. Corruption is universal, and the same people who are supposed to be protecting it are selling it off to fill their own pockets. Although I have only visited Cyprus on average every ten years since I was born, I have had an intimate affiliation to it. My early projects in Cyprus were portrait and landscape orientated; food was familiar but family were strangers. And of course having the opportunity to visit my parents’ homes in the Turkish side of Cyprus I felt closer to my roots and more empathetic to Cyprus’ problems. I think the topic of ‘Cyprus for Sale’ is personal in the sense that coming from South Africa, with our own experiences of corruption, the project revealed parallels in Cyprus.”

For now, Paul is firmly rooted in South Africa. As many of us know, the grass always seems greener – yet, Johannesburg is more pulsing and energised with possibility than ever before. With a working relationship with Bubblegum Club Magazine, the commercial spaces of TVCs and campaigns – and all the creative energy flowing – the visual landscape of our country is enough for Paul. We can’t wait to see the personal series that breakout in between. 

 

Written by: Holly Beaton

For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

Streetwear’s Continued Renaissance at SA Menswear Week SS23

Oct 7, 2022 | Fashion, Community

We are no longer watching streetwear integrate with the broader ‘fashion’ industry – it’s here, it has been here; arrived and ascended. Streetwear is fashion – everyday, and direct – and yet it has taken two decades for it to go from racks to runways in the way that we are witnessing it today. I don’t need to tell the story – from Nigo to Virgil – you know it, and if you don’t; it’s no longer a conversation that really needs to be justified. What has happened, is that fashion is democratising – relevant to a larger scope of people than just the usual, luxury sycophants (I say this with respect, as one myself) – and in doing so, dosing the dissemination of fashion with a revitalisation that we never knew we needed. Un a world on a fast-track to material excess (or past the point of no return) and the decay of the natural world – it was becoming increasingly difficult to justify fashion. The pomp and ceremony of productions, seasons; point of views that often, we have seen before. Yes, artistic expression – yes, sartorial consciousness – but for who? This question is answered when I watch a showcase like SA Menswear Week this past Saturday. Wonderland Studios, ominous in size and located in Cape Town, offered a stage upon which the final day of shows came to a curtain call.
The last series of labels showing at SAMW spoke across the board of streetwear, with some athleisure brought in most distinctly by Redbat. The brand, a division within Sportscene, are also host to Redbat Posse – a women-powered design initiative – this year, selected designers were given Redbat garments and instructed to develop upcycled garments through their stylistic lens. Notable moments include Anita Hlazo’s (Afrogrunge) punk-inspired denim waistbands intricately stitched together, and Robyn Agulhas’ (Sin Chui) eternal ode to Japanese silhouettes were seen with a patchwork oversized, structured jacket. Seeing upcycling on the runway is a beautiful anecdote for the future of fashion – minimising waste and encouraging creative dynamism. 

 

Then, the INFLUHKS family came through – with a slot dedicated to four brands affiliated under the store’s guardianship. The affinity for connectivity was palpable – with the turn out of family, friends and associates brought an unmatched energy into the space. Rapper K.KEED gave a live performance as models wearing Lazy Stacks snaked the runway; the mood ran high, with the signal that streetwear and culture are intertwined; never separated. Football-esque sweat-sets came out in green and brown – the colourway for Lazy Stacks SS23 – with a moment of twinshop between K.KEED and a model both donning the bandana shirt and shorts set. King on Horses came next, with their arrow-angle logo emblazoned on hoodies and other essentials – and the iconic phrase ‘invaders must die’ came on with a nod to the world’s digital future, as a model bravely walked with a VR headset as an accessory. 
Flux explored materiality – diversifying their collection across silks and plush faux-fur, and a notable puffed jacket. The shows, beautifully cast, carried the strength of attitude inherent to showcasing streetwear; the models honing in on the mood of assurance in oneself, essentially so. Lastly, Bigtynsonly closed with a case study on the importance of styling: with orange corduroy, utility sets, a reversible puffer vest moment – Bigtynsonly stayed true to their name with beautifully styled – Balenciaga-esque – head scarfs and shades. With Cultish rounding off the streetwear performances with signature essentials – a world of possibility remains open for young creatives aiming to build their vision, supported by the tutelage of SA Menswear Week & Cape Town Fashion Council.
Written By: Holly Bell Beaton
For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

Considered Decision-Making with Filmmaker & Producer, Allison Swank Owen

Oct 5, 2022 | Interviews, Creatives

The last decade has seen a new wave of creative energy hit South Africa – emanating strongest, perhaps, from the city of gold: Johannesburg. There’s that feeling in Joburg; unmatched in intensity, an energy of grit and determination; a city in which everyone wants to tell their story. A city in which many do, tell their story, without permission. It’s precisely this mood that captivated Allison Swank Owen – originally from the USA – when arriving in the country to do a Masters Degree in African Studies at the University of Cape Town. Allison was brought up in middle America; Missouri, to be exact – and went on to make her way in Chicago and New York, before finding herself making a home in Joburg. For many of us here, the outward trajectory from the country seems to be a mantle upon which our dream careers rest; so it is refreshing and encouraging that the just the opposite trajectory, like for Allison, equally nurtures a dream.
As a leading film-director and producer, Allison cuts an integral form and figure – as she is behind many of the best visual projects that have shaped our contemporary commercial and cinematic landscape in the last few years. Allison’s work feels like calling, with Africa as an essential aspect – although led by a committed awareness by Allison to her own whiteness and privilege. Allison explains, “I produced and directed my high school news program when I was 15. I would spend after-school hours in the editing suite cutting and editing, and so it really started there. I knew I wanted to go to film school when I left high school – and I specialised in editing at first. My first job after college was at a film / tv production company that would make documentaries for The History Channel and National Geographic. That was a really cool start in the industry. It’s not really a straight line – a series of events led me to do a Masters Degree in African Studies at UCT – which honestly should have been called ‘Decolonial Studies’, because the term African studies makes it sound like some sort of anthropological degree. We were talking about knowledge production – and how knowledge about Africa is created and for whom and by whom, and who does it serve. That eventually parled with the gig at OkayAfrica. The Roots had just started this new website – and they were looking for an editor-in-chief. I was the first content editor, back in 2011. Up until that point, I was an editor for TV.” This role would eventually see Allison take up directing – firstly with the web series and mini documentaries.
How then, did Allison find herself at the tip of Africa over a decade ago? She reflects, “I had a mentor in college. He’s a Black American guy, and he taught an African history course. Somehow, I made it all the way through high school in Missouri without ever hearing the word ‘apartheid’ – I had no idea about colonisation – and that should tell you something of the insularity of whiteness, particulary in the states. I was so taken by the personal sacrifices by people in the freedom struggle – and the narratives of people like Ruth First and Dulcie September – and women, specifically, and that professor brought me on a trip to South Africa in 2007. That was the first time I really understood the incredible complexity and beauty of South Africa. I don’t have family here, but somehow some of the most formative parts of my life have been forged here.” It’s one of those experiences – I think – if you get it, then arriving in South Africa is perhaps unmatched in the rawness this country evokes. Particularly in Joburg, where Allison and her husband Travys Owen have expanded their respective careers and creative scope. I ask Allison, curiously, what this trajectory from New York to Joburg meant for her career – particularly when most envision the inverse of that route as the only way to ‘make it’. Allison says, “New York is really over-saturated, and I had ended up coming back to South Africa for December. I got a job opportunity, and I didn’t even think twice about staying – I was just following the freedom of artistic expression that I was feeling here. There’s space here for artists and people to try something – and failing – and then reinventing and then popping up as something else in their evolution, and trying again. There’s space to do that – and confidence and encouragement to do that. I’ve always felt that Joburg is a city of survivors, and there’s something about that depth of expression that is profound.”
Allison’s sincerity for South Africa is a precious thing – and it’s meant she has been welcomed, to make and create alongside people who are now kin. Described as a documentary-style filmmaker, Allison’s execution of this style of story-telling has been translated into beautiful commercial work – a realm that South Africa has been known to remain quite ‘conservative’ in, until recent years; “Every decision I make for a production has to come from a place of authenticity. The hiring is one aspect that really sets the tone for how something will go – as a process – but then finalises its outcome. Most of the casting I do myself, too. And the casting evolves from relationships – from parties, to the dancefloor – other jobs. Every decision at every point has to come from a point of consideration.” There is an opposition of forces within Allison’s career – between her role as director and as producer. With her production company, The Swank Group, its inception was a necessity to house her work – but it brought with it a wider responsibility as a producer. To produce, is to manage – the finest details, and the wildest personalities. Sometimes it means being the parent on set – to which Allison says, “I struggle with that relationship. I am much more comfortable directing. Me, the producer, is not really a person I like – to be honest. Producers aren’t always able to make authentic and connected decisions. The role requires to always be concerned with the bottom line. I worked with Adriaan Louw as his producer for three years. Through working with him, and being a part of his process and supporting – I really discovered the possibilities of what my own work could be. He approaches everything so meaningfully. So for that, as a producer, can mean being able to observe directly the way film-making can and should work.” 
One of Allison’s most critically acclaimed works is the short film Scum Boy, as it tells the story of 3D artist and CEC homie of the same name. A beloved being in the creative landscape of South Africa, the film is a taste of his world and mind – and  won “Best Short Documentary” at the IMDB Independent Shorts Awards in LA, and was an official selection for Shorts On Tap, London, and Hot Docs 2021 in Toronto, Canada. A vulnerable, beautiful depiction of Scum Boy saturated in a kaleidoscopic hues – Allison reflects on the project, “I was thinking about my career and the kind of work I wanted to make. Scummy and I have a friendship, and I had said that – this in lockdown – I wanted to drive to Cape Town and make a film. So as we were legally able to, Travys and I drove to Cape Town and we made this film. It was totally a labour of love. I ask myself, between everyone that was involved, if something like that could be made now? I don’t think so. It was such a specific moment that birthed the film, among a specific group of people. The editor, William Kalmer, did an incredible job – he sunk his teeth and made this psychedelic world that fits tonally and perfectly with Scum Boy. It all fell into place. Then, it sat on the shelf for six months – I couldn’t get it to move. Finally, we got a break after six months with 4:3 Boiler Room, and then into the festivals. The success has been really cool. The point of the film was to be celebratory – it was essential to bring Scum’s being into a space without struggle as a trans man.” 
In the last month, Allison and Travys have moved to New York – to return home for Allison, and for them to reach into new realms in their respective creative development. For Allison, too, it’s to be back in her country of birth – where so much is awry politically, and in which story-telling and archiving social-change and resistance calls out. South Africa will always be their first home together – and Travys’ home ‘home’ – and this is the beauty of geographical movement – to be forged among many places, faces and experiences. Onwards and upwards. 

 

 

Written By: Holly Bell Beaton
For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

Just in time for Summer, Umgido releases fresh EP “The Hideout”

Oct 4, 2022 | New Release, Music

On September 30th, the versatile duo and UMGIDO pioneers, ATHIE and Da Fresh dropped their carefully crafted project “ The Hideout” – a birth into a different realm that Umgido has thrived on since the beginning of their musical journey.

 The duo’s multiple collaborations, nominations and awards attest to their professionalism and standing in the industry, and their catalogue features new-age musical icons like Moonchild, Das Kapital, DJ Tira and Busiswa.  “The Hideout” sees Umgido focusing on new material during the remainder of 2022 before travelling the world to take their evolving, and memorable, South African, new age style to an already appreciative global audience.

 By fusing Afro-Tech and basic elements of Gqom,  strong vocals and surprising features along with full melodies and drum beats, Umgido  enabled each of the tracks on the EP to  stand out. 

 “Move” is already getting attention,  being used as a Nandos Creativity post and featured on In Das We Trust on 5FM.

 

Hailing from East London in the Eastern Cape, Umgido are leaders in a new age Gqom sound. This unique sound blends Gqom melodies with classic notes of electro house and has fast piqued interest far beyond the borders of South Africa. 

Through a deeply bonded collaborative partnership the duo, comprising Da Fresh and DJ Athie have long been honing their crafts. In 2016 DJ Athie began focussing on music full time and moved to Cape Town to attend the Bridges Academy where he graduated with their inaugural intake.

 DJ Athie hosts a weekly spot on 5fm #GqomFridays where he introduces the freshest new discoveries.
With an extensive resume of productions and collaborations including Moonchild, Das Kapital, DJ Tira and Busiswa and the freshly released single ‘Pressure’ Umgido is looking forward to taking “The Hideout” to the world. Celebrate with Umgido @ JWxRTD22 this Saturday 15:15 at the Maybelline Station.

LISTEN HERE