Young and vital artist: Navel Seakamela

This month, Wanted dives into the lives, practice and ideology of  some of the most exciting young artists living or working in South Africa today.

Navel Seakamela was born in 1991 in Soshanguve, Tshwane, and grew up in Tembisa township in Johannesburg. He studied a diploma in visual arts at the Tshwane University of Technology, which he completed in 2015.

Seakemela has participated in various local exhibitions since 2013 and his first solo exhibition was at the Kalashnikovv Gallery in Johannesburg which was followed by another at Bonne Espérance in France. He was a finalist in the Thami Mnyele Fine Arts Awards and the PPC Imaginarium art competition.

His figurative practice uses drawing and painting in portraiture that focuses on themes of self-representation, identity and the post-Apartheid perspective. Consumer culture, alongside feelings of isolation, gendered norms and psychological effects, are addressed through his works that are unique in his style; characterised by androgynity, deep red mouths and dark tonality.

His large-scale works present a sense of shared identity alongside feelings of intimacy and vulnerability, allowing the viewer to project their own experiences and notions upon his work.

What influences your choice of colour, medium and representation?

I’m inspired by historical representations of black bodies, particularly Sambo characterisations in old cartoons and classic films. This representation was initially meant to belittle, insult, or undermine. By subverting the historic connections behind these figures, I’m subverting the associated negative visual connection to blackness itself.

My use of colourful backgrounds, relaxed poses and gestures exude a sense of wellbeing regardless of what is projected onto the images of these figures. My use of charcoal allows me to use my fingers to smudge and shade while drawing, encouraging me to connect more deeply with the work.

What themes, such as consumer culture and social norms, are expressed through your work?

My work often wrestles with the theme of economic power dynamics and imbalances. Within a South African context, these exist and play themselves out in multiple ways — physically, emotionally and psychologically. My work also aims to confront social norms around gender identity and its expected expression. Within black spaces, there is still a lot of toxic masculinity and there is an expectation as to how a strong man should behave and present himself. All of my figures are gender ambiguous. The distinctive bold red lips are intended to leave the viewer unsure as to whether a form is male or female. I’m hoping this will help to deconstruct these gender stereotypes and encourage us to confront our own ways of being.

Please could you tell me about your upcoming work, exhibitions, projects and plans for the future?

I’m planning to further develop my practice and experiment with the making of three-dimensional works. I have always been intrigued by sculpture and large-scale installation. I intend to expand my visual language without losing the sensitivity of my figures. There is a two-man exhibition that I’m working towards that is set to take place at the end of next year at the Pretoria Art Museum. I’m also planning to participate in more international exhibitions and art fairs.