Mkhize an artist by design
Cape Town-110712-Artrist Loyiso Mkize interviewed at his home in Goodwood by Reporter-Wendyl Martin about his upcoming exhibition-Photographer-Tracey Adams Cape Town-110712-Artrist Loyiso Mkize interviewed at his home in Goodwood by Reporter-Wendyl Martin about his upcoming exhibition-Photographer-Tracey Adams
A paint-streaked painter, a confident businessman and a full-time comic book illustrator, Loyiso Mkize was hard at work this week in his Goodwood flat, putting the final touches to his first solo exhibition, Reflections of Inner Truth.
The collection consists of 15 paintings – nine portraits and six surreal or abstract works. They have been on display at The Framery Art Gallery in Sea Point since the exhibition’s opening on Thursday and will be up until August 13.
The Good Weekend met the young painter to chat about the collection, his methods, his career and himself.
Looking at some of the abstract pieces, I found myself lost in life-like characters attached to a collection of fluid images and patterns sprouting out of the top or side of their heads.
Mkize describes the people in these paintings as “hosts” and the objects coming out of their heads as a “manifestation of thoughts, burdens and fears”.
An interesting example of this is a painting entitled Power. “He would literally blow his head off for power,” says Mkize. The painting shows a black man in a suit, with his right hand pointed at his head in a motion of suicide. Out of the left of the character’s head sprout images reminding one of industry.
“Each piece is inspired by people I meet. That way, I use the public for my own ends, by speaking to people on the train.”
Mkize works as a full-time illustrator for the popular football comic series, Supa Strikas. He paints after work and over weekends.
“I do about a week of research and then I attack the canvas. To paint the personalities, I become the woman I am painting.”
Most of his subjects are female. “Women are easy to access emotionally. It is easy to tap into them. Men bottle stuff up.”
Another painting in the collection is Pick a Colour. It appears to be an exploration of albinism and the ideas associated with it. The host in picture is a male albino. Above his head are images of gnashing albinos, white sheep, black sheep and a rainbow. Mkize says it is a play on the idea of the black sheep.
On why he called the collection Reflections of Inner Truth, he says: “Doing this series for me has been life-changing in that I was going through a transformation – I have become more reflective. This is my way of life, being reflective.”
Mkize was trained in graphic design at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.
“Graphic design and fine art are linked. Some may see design as a shallow corporate thing and fine art as an expressive thing, but this is what keeps me interesting. I use both disciplines. There is a strong design theme in my work, thus I call myself a design artist.”
Although he sits in front of me in paint-stained trousers, a jersey and a beanie, I am led to believe that this is a keen businessman. He says his paintings will sell for between R10 000 and R20 000.
The owner of The Framery, Debbie Grewe, says: “The quality of Loyiso’s work caught me from the day I met him. I am fascinated that he is an animator. His work is soul-touching.” - Weekend Argus