Wearing art on people’s sleeves
Quwe takes art to the people through decor and fashion
With a dwindling number of feet in art galleries, Nkosinathi Quwe has taken art to the streets.
He has set himself apart as a proponent of wearable art, breathing new life into otherwise dull and dreary garments.
His artistic impressions have been seen on the back of several SA personalities, including EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu on his wedding day.
The “bird of passage” artist argues that he’s pushing for art on legs. “The whole point is to have mobile art. Get art to confront people since they refuse to go to an actual gallery.”
The designer works closely with fashion label, House of Ole. A glance at his work and it’s obvious the significance of birds is prominent. It turns out there’s a deeper meaning behind the bird motif than just the beauty.
“I am a spiritual person, birds represent a sense of Zen and lightness. To me a bird’s feather is soft, light and there’s art in its swift movement and that’s the energy I want in my art.”
Musical symbols also have a place of pride in his work: there’s a saxophonist here and and a tint of religion there.
He describes his love for jazz, as the audio version of art. “Paintings and jazz music are the same. I can’t explain, painting and listening to jazz influence what I am painting.”
Born and bred in Butterworth, Eastern Cape, Quwe was a shy child who could only translate his thoughts through art. To improve his communication skills, the painter got his first job after varsity at a retail store where he interacted with customers. Coming full circle, Quwe finds himself working with clothes. Last month he dressed Shivambu in a white shirt sporting a lion that covered almost theentirechest.
“The idea behind the lion symbolises strength, royalty and a successful black man,” says Quwe. He seldom gets to meet these high-profile clients as he is behind the scene. House of Ole owner, Ole Ledimo, does the meet and greet.
Someone he does remember meeting is actor Tony Kgoroge who he describes as wonderful to work with. His love for art saw Quwe cross borders. He spent a month in Zimbabwe while a Zimbabwean artist stayed in SA, as a “merging of cultures”.
As for the future, Quwe mentions going into the corporate space and adding some lush on tables, chairs and walls.
“I feel office spaces need some vibrancy and life and only art can bring that,” he says.