Bachelor of Fine Art Graduate Exhibition (2019)

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BFA Graduate Exhibition

Using the framework of the graphic novel, which was the main motivator behind my work, the series explores how I view myself as a citizen of an urban culture, how I grapple with my identity as Christian and how these topics influence my introspection in public, by myself but most importantly before God. The walls of the gallery space acted as pages while the paintings imitated panels found on the pages of graphic novels, shifting this aspect of pop culture into the fine art space.

Alias, 2019, 120cm x 100cm, Oil on canvas

This painting was a criticism of how I often feel as a Christian. While the first impression may be that the figure is a sort of hero of the faith (shown by the cross on the chest), one could also ask, “Why must the hero put on a mask and attire to represent his faith?”

Urban Hero i, 2019, 60cm x 80cm, Oil on Canvas

The “Urban Hero” paintings reflect my desire to be seen as a heroic Christian in my urban setting. The “G” on the chests of the figures acts doubly as a play on slang in urban culture where youths often call each other “G” (short for “Gangsta”) but also as a play on the symbols typically found on comic book heroes chests which signal what they stand for or represent (e.g. the “S” on Superman’s chest which stands for and is a symbol of “Hope”) and observing from this point of view the “G” stands for “God”.

I submitted this piece into the Thami Mnyele Fine Arts Award with "Urban Hero 2" although only this piece was selected to feature in the Top 100 exhibition.