Let’s begin with where you’re from. What shaped the lens through which you see the world and create your work?

Ntsika: I am an artist from Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland). I was born and raised in the capital city, Mbabane, and received my primary and high school education there. My earliest paintings from around 2015 were mainly landscapes and sometimes cityscapes as I was drawing inspiration particularly from the world around me. I was also in love with portraiture and attempted to perfect the art of portrait painting. Around 2016, though, my art started evolving and becoming a bit more surrealist and contemplative. I think I have always been an introspective person but around that time I began to really explore my thoughts through my art. 2016 was my first year in university and it was my first time away from home which I believe helped opened my mind to new ideas which would then bleed into my art and my creative process. I was able to hear my own voice and develop my own ideas about the world a bit better then.

You describe yourself as an “Afro-Absurdist.” What moment or realization first led you to that framing?

Ntsika: As previously mentioned, I do tend to reflect and contemplate a lot about life (or at least life as I see it). I got very interested in philosophy around 2016 and it has stayed with me ever since then. I am a bit skeptical to call myself a philosopher, though, because I think the term ‘philosopher’ is often times over-used whilst ignoring the actual work that goes into philosophy. There have been numerous occasions when I have felt myself being drawn to absurdist philosophy especially when realizing that the innate desire many people have to find ‘meaning’ in life is often contradicted by an indifferent universe. My current outlook is that, if such meaning exists, it seems to exist merely on a personal and ‘subjective’ scale rather than in any ‘objective’ sense. This realization, I believe, is at the heart of absurdist philosophy. Although I am very hesitant to fully describe myself through any philosophical or ideological lens because I think it can be limiting, I found that absurdism was the closest I could get to relating to a school of philosophy.

The reason I term my art ‘Afro-Absurdism’ is simply because I have been inspired by other black creators who have used surrealism and futurism as a vehicle of expression – but viewing it through the lens of their experiences as people of colour. This has birthed art movements known as Afro-Surrealism and Afro- Futurism. Through my art, I tried to incorporate the same mentality – using absurdism as a lens to express and explore my own personal perspective!

Reflections on Epigenetics and Heredity.png

Your titles read like philosophical essays. What role does naming play in your process? Is it part of the art or after the fact?

Ntsika: Interestingly enough, most of my paintings start off as ideas and images in my head. Sometimes I have an idea I want to communicate through a painting whilst other times it is just a collection of images that pop into my mind – begging to come to life. Usually titles come after I create and, often times, I find myself spending long periods of time trying to come up with names for my artwork. This is why I sometimes I avoid naming pieces. I believe that painting is a special kind of creative expression because it relies primarily on visuals as a mode of communication. Due to this, language tends to be secondary so titles and explanations are sometimes drawn out of the mind of the artist through great effort.

Reflections on Epigenetics and Heredity By Ntsika Ngcamphalala

Much of your work is visually rich with surreal, layered imagery. How do you approach symbolism in your paintings and are there recurring visual metaphors you return to?

Ntsika: The symbolism usually arises in my head haphazardly but whenever I finally get to create, I attempt to present it coherently on canvas to convey whatever ideas I had in mind. In most of my work, there is usually the symbol of an eye that I incorporate. The eye is a very visually striking symbol which can be interpreted in vast ways. When it comes to the interpretation of my work and the symbolism I use, I try to allow the work to speak for itself rather than to interrupt the personal ‘meaning-making’ journey that viewers of my work go through by over explaining.

Zera Yacob Contemplating by Ntsika Ngcamphalala

As someone working across oil, digital, and curation, how do you decide what medium fits a certain philosophical idea or mood? Is medium ever part of the message?

Ntsika: My ‘go-to’ medium has been oil paint for some time now so I rarely even think twice about it. I do, however, think we are living in interesting times as artists because the conversations are slowly becoming about what role digital technologies (such as A.I) play in the creative process.

There have been pieces I have created which blend both the traditional modes of creation and technology. One such piece is an artwork called ‘May Magic Engulf You’ in which I created the main artwork using ink and watercolour paint on paper and then digitally processed that image in Photoshop. I then added additional elements and a background. With that particular piece, medium was definitely a part of the message because I intended to contradict the narrative that
technology is inherently a threat to creativity. The message was that, if we use technology as a tool rather than a replacement for creativity, the ‘magic of creativity’ will continue to be present and our work will retain its artistic integrity. I do foresee interesting approaches being explored by artists to explore how their work fits into the current digital climate.

Artist Profile

Full Name: Ntsika Ngcamphalala

Mediums: Primarily Oil Paint on Canvas (sometimes Photoshop when doing digital art and motion graphics)

Materials Often Used: Oil Paint, Paintbrushes, Graphite pencils, Ink

If one of your paintings could whisper something to you, what would it say? I suspect it would first be horrified by the realization that it has developed the ability to speak! The painting would tell me to ‘take it easy’ and to just allow it to exist in its own world.
I tend to overthink sometimes and find myself worrying about how (or if) my work resonates in any significant way. Perhaps it would encourage me to keep creating from a ‘childlike’ perspective and to just find joy merely in the act of creating. Many of my paintings would probably also say: “Leave us alone! We are complete now – stop being a perfectionist!”

You’ve exhibited internationally. How do you feel your work is read in the U.S. or South Africa versus Eswatini? Have you ever felt misread—or unexpectedly understood?

Ntsika: When my work was displayed in the U.S, it was exhibited digitally as part of a music and wellness festival. I unfortunately was unable to be physically present and to gauge the responses to my work. I do, however, think that art is a universal language that can start interesting conversations regardless of location. I have found that there is a growing art community in Eswatini (primarily amongst the youth) that is open to experiencing and embracing art. I have been fortunate to receive warm feedback and interaction from my peers during the shows in which I have exhibited. Being misread is part of the creative journey of every artist; however, I must admit I have been pleasantly surprised by the amount of times people have been willing to understand different perspectives.

When someone stands in front of a piece like Being, what’s one question you hope they ask themselves?

Ntsika: As the name suggests, I would hope that they first allow themselves to experience ‘being’ in it. It is a visually striking painting that does not seem to offer any immediately decipherable interpretation or resolution. I suspect the first thing people would ask me would be what the painting means and I think this tendency to search for the meaning in art reveals our obsession with ordering reality in a way that is ‘logically digestible’ to us. I do not think that is inherently a bad thing nor do I think that reality is completely indecipherable; but I do
think that the beginning of appreciating the uniqueness of being alive is to recognize just how strange, confusing and absurd being alive can be. That is what I would hope people take from all of my paintings. I hope they develop a raw appreciation of the strangeness of everything and to allow awe and wonder to guide them through the world. It is something I am also teaching myself.

Being by Ntsika Ngcamphalala

Much of African heritage has been preserved through symbolism and metaphor. Do you see your work as part of that lineage or as a disruption of it?

Ntsika: That question is a brilliant question but a bit difficult for me to answer. This is because I truly believe that African art and African heritage express themselves in such diverse ways that it is difficult to pinpoint whether my work is part of that lineage or a disruption of it. I think to some extent, my use of symbolism works as part of that lineage but I also see my work as disrupting any stereotypical notions of what ‘African art’ is and what it is meant to look like. I think that, as African artists, our goal is to have autonomy over how we express our heritage, ideas, beliefs, stories and intellect. I think we also need to be self-defining in that sense. It is in our hands as creators to define what constitutes as being a part of our heritage and to be able to have the creative freedom to reflect and contemplate about that heritage through our work. So, to answer the question, I would argue that my work does both – it affirms the lineage whilst subtly disrupting any preconceived notions of what that lineage ought to look like.

Artist Statement

Angst by Ntsika Ngcamphalala

The work I create stems from a desire to communicate my internal realm and to understand the world around me. My work seeks to be a discourse between both of these realities - the world of the ‘subjective observer’ as well as the ‘objective reality’ being observed. Through my art, I explore themes such as Absurdism, Angst, Existentialism, as well as Human Identity. I use these themes as a vehicle to interrogate what it means to exist as an African in the 21st century as well as a human being in such a vast cosmos. My personal insights have led me to the perspective that the deep desire for meaning in humanity's existence is contradicted by the apparent lack of inherent and absolute meaning in the cosmos. As such, my philosophical outlook is closely aligned with that of Absurdism. I consider myself to be an 'Afro-Absurdist' as I take the themes of Absurdist philosophy and incorporate them into my art under an ‘African lens’. One of the recurring themes in my work is the journey towards finding ‘magic’ in this 'Absurd' world and creating one’s own meaning as a form of rebellion against it. This intentionality in meaning-making contradicts and opposes the ideas of ‘absolute meaning’ that have been imposed on us. My primary medium is paint (particularly oil paint), but I do explore themes under the medium of ink, graphite, digital design, and photography. My creative approach is usually Symbolism and Surrealism to depict these ideas in a comprehensive and coherent manner.