Artist Statement

Whispers of the untouched by Yenzo

My work is a journey of juxtapositions. Where seemingly opposing elements come together to create something beautiful and cohesive in an elegant manner. I love to juxtapose the dark with the soft, the raw with the refined, creating art that invites reflection and dialogue. Whether through poetry, photography, fashion, or design, my goal is to create a space where difficult conversations can unfold, and healing can begin.

Influenced by my Swazi heritage, personal experiences, and the diverse facets of
life, my creations are a blend of the literal and the figurative. I aim to touch souls, whether it's through the subtle healing of a single piece of art or through broader expressions that resonate on a deeper level. Each piece is a reflection of life's complexities, and my intention is always to offer an honest, raw, and elegant perspective.

By embracing these contrasts, I invite others into a space of introspection and
understanding. My hope is that through my art, we can all find a piece of ourselves and realize that we are not alone.

Let’s start with where you’re from! not just geographically, but also emotionally. What shaped you into the artist you are today?

Yenzo: I'm from Eswatini, a vibrant but often overlooked country. Growing up here, I was always a creative kid. For a long time, there was a narrative that overlooked the beauty of Africa, including my own country. I took it upon myself to decolonize my mind and embrace the true beauty within our cultures, people, and landscapes. I taught myself to see poetry in everyday scenes, always searching for beauty in overlooked places.

This journey of self-discovery, decolonizing my mind and appreciation for my heritage deeply influences my art. I find beauty in the juxtaposition of elements, a place that holds both beauty and struggle, and I use my creativity to challenge and redefine these boundaries. Art is my therapy, a way to transform my emotions into something tangible. It allows me to process and share both positive and challenging emotions. Ultimately, my work is about authenticity, creativity, and sparking conversations that connect with others on a deeper level.

You say that your work lives in juxtapositions: softness with darkness, rawness with refined, and so on. What draws you to those tensions, and how do you hold them in your process?

Yenzo: I’m drawn to juxtapositions because they reflect the reality of how we live and feel, nothing is ever just one thing. Life is complex and so is identity We’re never just one thing especially as African woman. We hold joy with grief, tradition with modernity, silence with resistance. My process mirrors that. I’ll create something raw, then dress it in elegance. It’s never about fixing opposites but letting them breathe together. I hold these tensions by allowing them to coexist without forcing resolution. That’s how I make sense of my own contradictions. It’s honest, and for me, that honesty is what makes the work powerful.

How does your Swazi heritage shape the textures, symbols, or energy of your work even when it’s not directly named or noticeable?

Yenzo: Even when I don’t name it, my Swazi heritage is the lens through which I see and feel everything. It influences how I compose images, choose colours, and interpret space. In my photography for example, I aim to capture the beauty of Eswatini, its landscapes, textures, and everyday life, so that the world can see the richness that is often overlooked. I think my country is beautiful and I would like to share that with the world.

In my architectural storyboard, for example, I chose Mbabane, the capital city as the setting and intentionally used the colours of our national flag throughout the design. These elements may be subtle, but they carry cultural weight. My heritage is not just a theme, it’s embedded in the spirit and energy of the work, even when it's not overtly visible.

Can you tell us about a piece where you surprised yourself, where something revealed itself in the making?

Architectural story board by Yenzo

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95% of Africa’s cultural heritage is still held outside the continent due to colonial violence. While some countries have seen progress in restitution, the overall process remains very slow. How does it make you feel as a Swazi artist and does it connect in any way to your own creative work or sense of cultural ownership?

Yenzo: As a Swazi artist, it makes me feel like pieces of our identity are scattered and hidden, disconnected from the people they truly belong to. These objects carry stories, spirits, and ancestral knowledge and yet, they sit in foreign institutions, often without context. This reality connects to my creative work. A lot of what I do is about reclaiming presence, power and voice. Whether through photography, design, or storytelling, I’m always trying to highlight the beauty and complexity of Swazi life and African identity from the inside out—not through an outsider’s lens. It pushes me to create work that feels rooted and unapologetically local, even when I experiment with global techniques or aesthetics. I think there’s also a quiet form of resistance in that. When our cultural objects are locked away, our art becomes a way to keep those spirits alive, to reinterpret them, to give them space in the now, and to reassert ownership over our stories. So yes, it affects me deeply, but it also motivates me to keep creating with intention.

Digitization often claims to preserve culture, but can it hold spirit? What are your hopes or hesitations about the digital life of your work?

Yenzo: Digitization can preserve images, sounds, and structures, but spirit is something else. Spirit lives in the way something makes you feel. Theres a difference between experiencing an art piece in person vs online. So, while digital tools help archive and share culture, they can sometimes flatten what’s sacred or deeply felt. Still, I see potential. My hope is that the digital life of my work becomes a bridge, not a replacement. A way for someone far away to experience what I hope to translate into tangible art, to feel a trace of Eswatini’s soul, or for a young African artist to see themselves reflected
and feel empowered. But I’m also careful. I don’t want my work to be consumed without context or reduced to aesthetics. My art and heritage aren’t just content, its living memory, emotion, and story.

So, I try to carry that spirit into every digital space I enter, hoping the intention behind the work can travel too. I’m grateful for the reach it offers, the chance for someone far away to witness a piece of what I’ve made. My hope is not just to preserve, but to send out something that stirs, even when it travels far from the body that birthed it.

If someone sits quietly with your work, what do you hope they leave with?

Yenzo: If someone sits quietly with my work, I hope they leave with a sense of connection to themselves, to others, and to the shared complexities of being human. I hope they feel a quiet shift inside them, like something they didn’t know they were carrying has been named or softened. I want them to feel seen and understood, perhaps finding comfort in the realization that vulnerability and strength can coexist. My hope is that my art encourages gentle introspection, sparks meaningful questions, and offers a moment of healing or clarity. Ultimately, I wish for them to carry away a renewed sense of hope and the understanding that they are not alone in their experiences. If they sit long enough, I hope they remember something personal, even if they can’t explain it. Something that belongs to them but had been sleeping.
I don’t want to give answers or tell you what to feel. I just want the viewer to feel, I want to offer an atmosphere. A place to feel, to return to and maybe to see the world a little differently when they walk away. My work is a mirror and a door, it’s meant to reflect and invite.

Heaven and Earth by Yenzo

Artist Profile

Full Name: Yenzokuhle Shongwe

Artist Name : Yenzo

Mediums: Multidisciplinary artist using a wide range of mediums.

Materials Often Used: both digital and physical materials.

Favorite snack when creating art to boost creativity?: fruits, dried fruit snacks and mini marshmallows.

Artist Statement

Let’s start with where you’re from! not just geographically, but also emotionally. What shaped you into the artist you are today?

You say that your work lives in juxtapositions: softness with darkness, rawness with refined, and so on. What draws you to those tensions, and how do you hold them in your process?

How does your Swazi heritage shape the textures, symbols, or energy of your work even when it’s not directly named or noticeable?

Can you tell us about a piece where you surprised yourself, where something revealed itself in the making?

Digitization often claims to preserve culture, but can it hold spirit? What are your hopes or hesitations about the digital life of your work?

If someone sits quietly with your work, what do you hope they leave with?

Artist Profile

Full Name: Yenzokuhle Shongwe Artist Name : Yenzo Mediums: Multidisciplinary artist using a wide range of mediums. Materials Often Used: both digital and physical materials. Favorite snack when creating art to boost creativity?: fruits, dried fruit snacks and mini marshmallows.

Full Name: Yenzokuhle Shongwe

Artist Name : Yenzo

Mediums: Multidisciplinary artist using a wide range of mediums.

Materials Often Used: both digital and physical materials.

Favorite snack when creating art to boost creativity?: fruits, dried fruit snacks and mini marshmallows.