Behind the Mask

Through layered meaning, winner of the 2025 Portrait Award Mailk Mani explores the fragile boundaries between appearance and identity with Mask.

INTERVIEWED BY Gina Dionisio PHOTOS Supplied

At the end of August, Malik Mani was named the winner of the 2025 Portrait Awards for his captivating pencil portrait Mask. The work impressed the judges for its mastery, innovation and layered meaning. Here, he shares insight into his process, his fascination with pencil as a medium, and the symbolism driving his work.

Mask captivated the judges for both its technical brilliance and its layered metaphor of concealment and revelation. Can you share what first inspired the concept behind this portrait?

“What inspired me most about the concept of Mask is how individuals present themselves on social media platforms, wearing a fictional mask that portrays a lifestyle far removed from their actual identity.”

You’ve described your style as surrealistic, deliberately shifting focus from realism toward meaning. How do you balance hyperrealistic execution with symbolic intention?

“Balancing realism with symbolic meaning remains a challenge for me. The objective is to shift the audience towards the artwork’s message rather than its realism. I try not to overdo the details in my artwork. With my artwork Mask, I successfully achieved this, although it still posed a challenge.”

You’re the first artist from the Northern Cape to win the Portrait Award. How does your background in Upington shape your artistic vision and identity?

“It’s a significant honour to be included in the history books. I believe my artistic vision would be more refined now. Visual arts, particularly drawing, are not a popular medium in my town. Winning this competition has opened up more opportunities for artists in my province.”

What is it about pencil as a medium that resonates with you, and how did you navigate its technical challenges in creating Mask?

“Initially, pencils were the sole medium that captivated my interest when I first began drawing. Although I had experimented with paint previously, pencil remains the only medium that truly resonated with me. The ability to create texture without physically feeling it, akin to certain painting techniques, intrigued me. This sensation could only be experienced visually. My objective in creating Mask was to achieve a realistic tactile experience, discernible from a distance, yet inviting viewers to focus on the underlying message rather than the technical skill upon closer inspection.”

The cracked surface in Mask feels like a powerful metaphor. Do you see your work as engaging with broader social or psychological themes of identity, concealment, or transformation?

“Yes. That is what my storytelling in art is gradually evolving towards: examining the unconscious mind, human identity, and mental states through symbolism.”

Winning this award also means a solo exhibition at Rust-en-Vrede Gallery in 2027. Do you already have ideas about how you’ll approach that show?

“I have several concepts for my solo exhibition, although nothing is concrete yet. Nonetheless, it will undoubtedly hold symbolic significance.”

Looking forward, how do you hope your win influences both your own practice and the visibility of artists working outside the country’s traditional art hubs?

“I hope this win will inspire artists, especially those practising in drawing mediums, by providing a glimpse of hope, as drawing is not the most popular medium for storytelling and sales. And I do hope this win can convince them otherwise.” | rust-en-vrede.com/portrait-awards

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