My first interviewee for CEC, Yonela Makoba, is setting the local art scene ablaze. As a combination of text and recorded voice notes with faint classical music playing in her background, I managed to unveil the several layers of complexity which character Makoba, unveiling the purest artistic polymath which I have encountered in a while. Within this conversational chain of audio and text, she mentions her existential dread whenever quizzed with questions such as “who are you?” and “what you do?”.

Oscillating and intertwining between multiple disciplines purely out of necessity to honour her ideas at hand, Makoba describes her most recent artistic endeavour, a group show BODYLAND: A Site for Contemplation as high octane – an initiation into understanding what lies beneath, what has been hidden and what is evident in plain sight. Alongside fellow artists, Baz Bailey, Fundiswa Douw, Sisonke Papu, Wezile Hermans, the exhibition and performances were the outcome of a year-long residency –  nurtured by Athi Patra Ruga and curated by  Anelisa Mangcu. This is art as it was intended; shared together and offered to us, the audience, as varying threads of a shared artistic story. I can’t begin to describe how intuitive, composed, connected and present Makoba is – speaking so poignantly and profoundly on dense subjects such as mourning and directly pouring out raw honest emotion and transferring it into unique catalogues of art.

It’s so inspiring to hear such a talented young artist teach us all how to create art from within – and not from a conceited source of ego; how to honour ourselves and the ones which have allowed our path to fruition to exist. Her contribution to BODYLAND also included collaborative artworks with her grandmothers. “When the long night is done, when the morning star comes, we will walk with our shadows – in peace.” One of her poems reads. I had the honour and privilege of virtually engaging Makoba in order to delve deeper into her mythical universe, understand more about her inner world as an artist, the intersection of multiple disciplines and mediums within her work, and so much more.

Would you mind introducing yourself and including a short description of what you do? 

Hi Odwa, ndingu Yonela Makoba, iNgwekazi ezalwa nguJola waseMthatha. I am a daughter, sister, friend, plant mama and artist, currently based in Cape Town. I am a multidisciplinary artist, even though I am still grappling with what that definition even means, so essentially I’m currently redefining its meaning for myself. I am a performance artist, I use photography, I use my body, printmaking and sculpture. I use all of these mediums in order to convey thoughts, ideas and feelings.

I feel like your creative skill set is so diverse, yet nuanced and very intentional at the same time – could you talk us through the different creative disciplines you operate within?

I work with photography, performance art, sculpture, mixed media and more recently, abstraction and printmaking. I feel as though I am led to these different mediums, starting off in photography (because I was a stylist). I fell in love with the medium, its extensiveness and what you could actually do with it but I also knew that I wanted to explore different mediums too. I then pursued performance art, using my body as a vessel of self-expression and learning the language of my body. As for venturing into printmaking, initially advised by my mentor to do so, I felt as if I needed to put my body to task, as well as obtain scale in order to accurately represent the Amathole region, which was a key source of inspiration for my most recent print titled “uyafihla mhlaba” in collaboration with South Atlantic Press, which was part of their booth at this year’s Investec Art Fair.

You recently exhibited ‘Bodyland – a site for contemplation’ in Cape Town (curated by Anelisa Mangcu) – how was this experience for you?

The experience was really transformative and really regenerative. I felt as though we weren’t alone in everything we did, it was as if we all were there as physical representatives of our people and where we come from. I was honoured to be showing my hard work in the same room as people I respect, to see what came from all the things we spoke about in Hogsback. It was really special to be seeing each other after so long with the work. The work that brought us together. Personally, I was also grateful to be able to share the work which my grandmothers inspired me to make. To honour them with my body – my work has become a ritual in the place of lost/forgotten rituals. To meditate on the situation I found myself in late last year, to mourn and release myself from that.

What are some of the favourite exhibitions which you’ve been a part of?

In no particular order of occurrence, my favourite exhibitions are the first exhibitions I have ever been a part of, a group show at an independent space called ‘Studio One’ in 2017. I’ve come such a long way in terms of developing from that person – but I still honour that person. My second favourite was ‘Poropompompom’, another independent group exhibition at The Cosmopolitan in Joburg. Now that show was more than a show to me as I found my people and it was so special being there with them to play and do whatever we wanted with our spaces. It was cute as hell. The third was my first solo exhibition; Kwantlandlolo with Orms (Cape Town) in 2020, and I cannot even put into words how special this was to me. I was so in awe of that moment – “umangaliso” [which loosely means “miracle” or “wonders” in isiXhosa]. My mother was also present, which meant a lot to me.

What are some of the root components which form the basis of the work which you do? For example, I see a lot of family and culture within your work – according to you, what else?

It’s really a lot of things – from how plants and other lifeforms grow and metamorphosis in-between different seasons, my different worlds (inner, outer and historical) and how they interact with my body and soul, the process of dying and rebirth, and so much more. It is so vast – anything which really encompasses the process of being.

As a contemporary Black femme artist, how has it been for you navigating the South African art scene? Do you feel supported?

I’m struggling to answer this question because I don’t know if I’ve been consciously navigating the art scene. I have honestly been growing from one thing to the other; I don’t know if this makes any sense. I think I have been really blessed in my journey, at every stage there are people who have held my heart, affirmed and guided me through things. The one thing I know is that I have been found by people already working, if not physically, mentally or spiritually, so I’ve been ready (even though I don’t always think so). I’ve always felt supported.

Is there any short bit of advice which you could impart to young Black femme artists also looking to make a name for themselves within the local art scene?

Find out what you like – figuring that out is extremely important because it acts as the breeding ground for you to trust yourself. Your intuition is never wrong. You have everything you need and whatever you don’t have, will be gifted to you, one way or the other – so trust it.

 What are some of the things you are looking forward to in 2022?

I look forward to living, working, playing, enjoying and balancing all of this out. I look forward to growing into myself and growing my practice, touching new mediums, reading more books, breathing full regenerative breaths and learning how to sustain these. I’m looking forward to it a lot.

/// Black and white images were taken by Sihle Sogaula – IG: @sogaula 

Written by: Odwa Zamane