Visual artist, Thembi Khumalo is inspired by nature to create art
By CityLIfe Arts Wrtiter
South Africa’s rich and vibrant history has been told through books, music, performance and even fashion. In all its forms, storytelling remains a powerful tool to share culture, beliefs, emotion, perceptions and realities that transcend space and time. Thembi “Sky” Khumalo, a contemporary oil painter and creative entrepreneur from Thokoza in Gauteng’s East Rand, is well versed in this area.
This dynamic creative connected to art in her formative years, as an escape from her complicated experience while growing up, and carried her passion through to the Vaal University of Technology (VUT), where she obtained a National Diploma in Fine Arts. Despite having the privilege to attend former Model C schools that allowed her to blend with children from other walks of life and racial backgrounds, Thembi soon discovered that her cultural heritage and practices were not welcome at school.
“I was not allowed to wear is’phandla (traditional bracelet) at school and it was equally frowned upon by other African kids. So, being the introvert that I am, I couldn’t express how I felt about certain things and resorted to not mixing with other people,” she recalls.
Born into a spiritually oriented family, Thembi found that trips down to the family homestead in KwaZulu-Natal allowed her to experience the vast scenery, landscapes and natural spaces that she felt strongly connected to, and experienced especial peace within. Intent on creating balance through her art, Thembi uses white, blue and yellow hues predominantly in her work, “My inspiration comes from nature: white represents purity, while blue represents pain, and yellow represents growth. This is also where the nickname “Sky” comes from; my deep connection with nature and creation,” she says.
Remaining authentic is important for Thembi, as she continues to portray peace in her work, despite the strong market appetite for artwork that is controversial in nature, depicts violence or extremism.
As she prepares to exhibit her work at the 5th Edition PASA Festival taking place through the month of October, an online event where people will celebrate art and reconnect, Thembi reflects on the impact of the pandemic on her artistry, “The pandemic closed a lot of important doors; as artists we couldn’t collaborate with each other because of the lockdowns. In addition, despite the growth of virtual exhibitions, they haven’t replaced the value of human connections which are impossible to truly replicate in a virtual space.”
Other challenges that Thembi and other female artists contend with include the limited space for women in an industry dominated by men, as well as the disturbing trend of established artists stealing from less known artists, mimicking their style, and passing it off as their own.
Despite the impact on her business, her artwork value continues to range from R 10 000 upwards, and Thembi has been able to drive awareness to her social media platforms, gaining new followers since signing up on Vuma’s My Community Connects platform.
“Our communities have powerful and beautiful stories to share, and we are excited to give them the springboard they need to not only grow, but to enable them to inspire others to create and innovate. Vuma is committed to uplifting and enabling communities through technology and empowering ordinary people to be extraordinary,” says Mathilda Robertson of Vuma.
Thembi looks forward to collaborating more with other female artists in future, “I’d like to collaborate with female artists, growing together as a generation of artists and creating a community,” she concludes. To see more of Thembi’s work, follow her on Instagram: @thembi_k1