We’re young, creative and free!

Local artists share their process

Thenjiwe niki nkosi

Art is a way of thinking about questions (big and small) and imagining alternatives to the status quo. I believe in the power of open-hearted curiosity. I think that when we allow ourselves to be curious about the way things are, inside and outside, there’s potential for change, both in ourselves and in the world. I like to imagine different ways of being and doing, and art is a way to find, explore and nurture new possibilities.

My work takes several forms: painting, video, photography and art as a social practice (where the artwork is the process of working with other people). But, somehow, I find I’m always dealing with questions of power and voice: who has it, who doesn’t, and why? Where can we find power?

Across all the forms, formats and subject matter, these are the questions I always come back to. They’re political questions, but they’re also personal ones because I’m thinking about what it means to connect to different kinds of power – inner, social capital – through being connected to other people.

The pandemic has made existing structural faults in our society more apparent. We’re dealing with the same issues we always have, only now there’s the added impact of the virus on our people and economies.

Art gives us space to be human, vulnerable, heal and be honest with ourselves and others. It allows us to hold a mirror up to ourselves and our society; and since we can share and imagine some alternative visions of what can be, it’s a space for resistance.

It’s difficult to imagine the future of art as we navigate uncertain times, but people will always make things because it’s essential to who we are. There’s freedom in that, provided we do it on our terms. Will art be connected to AI or other undreamed of technologies? Your guess is as good as mine. One thing I’m certain of is that art will continue to be a part of our story and survival.