Local Talent: Tony Gum

INTERVIEWED BY Malibongwe Tyilo

Tony Gum calls herself an “artist in learning”, however, looking back at the year she’s had, which included sold-out shows at both the FNB Joburg Art Fair and Cape Town Art Fair, we dare say the 21-year-old is learning very fast. In March, she had a solo exhibition at PULSE Contemporary Art Fair in New York, with the support of adidas Originals. We caught up with her to chat art and the Big Apple.

 What did you get up to during your New York trip?

My brother and I put our bags away as soon as we arrived and went out to have a barbeque and some tasty sides. We made the most of every moment – we felt like locals, even to the extent of travelling individually. Seeing all the tourist hotspots such as Times Square and Central Park was sweet, but what made it very “New York” for me was seeing the steam coming out of the drains, the efficient subway system and the first stages of snow – it was beautiful and quite cold.

 What is the inspiration behind the Milked in Africa series you exhibited in NY?

Africa is depicted as a “She” within the series, but more so than the female figure, I am inspired by how Africa has dealt with colonisation and corruption as well as the implications of those hardships; which “She” is currently dealing with today. I’m inspired by richness, which Africa bares naturally. With that, I am hopeful that Africa will reach that space of being recognised as the power figure that “She” is.

Tell us more about your collaboration with adidas Originals.

In New York I worked with photographer Naila Ruechel, who shot me – wearing adidas Originals in the familiar black, white, navy, red and grey palette – with some of the amazing artworks exhibited at PULSE as the backdrop. In the images, both the adidas Originals brand and the artworks were elevated through styling and composition. The people at adidas South Africa know how much I enjoy colour, so they hooked me up with a few pairs of shoes from the upcoming adicolor collection.

You refer to yourself as ‘an artist in learning’. What does this mean?

The concept of learning is an ever-evolving notion; ultimately, we never stop learning.  But what I say is what I mean: I’m an artist in learning. This belief however was not always the case.  A year ago I wouldn’t have dreamt of giving myself such a title (“artist”) because I respect it immensely; I was scared and rather insecure. I spoke about this briefly at Design Indaba. Titled ‘Discovering Your Kind of Art’, I decided to share my journey to discovering my artistry, taking the unconventional routes, understanding and accepting ‘my kind of art’. Nevertheless, in conclusion to my talk, I mentioned how I’m still going through the ‘understanding phase’, that is why I wish to be called an ‘artist in learning’.

Who are some of your favourite artists?

I gravitate towards self-portraiture or photographers who enjoy capturing portraits: Frida Kahlo, Malick Sidibe, Mickalene Thomas, Hassan Hajjaj, Zanele Muholi, Vladimir Tretchikoff, Lakin Ogunbawo,Owise Abuzaid as well as Sergei Isupov and Kehinde Wiley (whom I discovered in New York).

What are you currently working on?

Besides improving my craft, I’m working on developing myself, which I think is crucial with regards to taking on different characters within my content. I’m also working on building new relationships with older folks to get a different take on knowledge, which is rather exciting for me. And, of course, I’m working on a new body of work.