Hloniphile Khuzwayo

The turning point for my work was when I moved from drawing landscape and people to collecting objects and found materials. I apply ink into that object then print it as it is, this helped me to explore and have control over that object because of the way I place it on the page.

My work is inspired by my background, religion and society. Recognizing the fact that I am a young black woman artist in South Africa who has been influenced by the western culture. Being caught in between being an African and western behaviour which makes me not sure of what is and what is not an African? Do I try to join them together? Is there any difference between the two in the society we live in now? Or have we created our own thinking that it’s ours but it’s not? Are we fascinated or are we afraid of what we have created and call it our own? The question again, why do we call it ourselves African? Is it because we were born in Africa? Is it feared that makes us say it proud that “I am an African” and look confident when saying it but deep inside we do not know what we are saying? What makes women beauty conscious and how they view beauty depends on the individual, our backgrounds, religion and our society. Am I in control of how I look? A lot of questions rise up when talking about beauty, do I decide to answer them honestly or do I lie to myself, is all up to me. The only person who knows the truth is me.

Information courtesy of the curator, Mphapho Christian Hlasane.