Artist Blessing Ngobeni’s new work takes on a practical but potent form.

Artists delving into the realm of chairs, lights, even coffee tables, aren’t a new thing. The world of art and design and the way we live have always blurred. There are practical (and sexy) examples, like surrealist god Salvador Dalí’s famous Mae West Lips Sofa, which can be lounged upon. And there are less usable but very impactful pieces, like 20 Chairs From The Qing Dynasty by Chinese political artist Ai Weiwei, which strings together Qing stools in a virus-like ball.

Now, one of South Africa’s brightest stars is trying his hand at “functional art” too. You can very much use the art couch that award-winning painter Blessing Ngobeni has made – but he hopes that whoever buys it and ends up sitting on it does so circumspectly. “It’s a masterpiece, people must look after it!” he says with a laugh.

He’s covered the piece of furniture with his instantly recognisable, multilayered, graffiti-esque images. They’re a crazy and colourful juxtaposition to the deeply classical and measured shape of the Regency-style sofa. The piece was, Blessing explains, chosen for a very specific reason and message. While doing research, he came across stories of the hair of American slaves being used to stuff the chair upholstery and mattress batting used by their white owners. The harrowing accounts got him wondering how many of the vintage things we own contain the DNA and spirit of slaves. The notion also triggered thoughts of child labour and broader exploitation.

Choosing to comment on this practice by using a type of old-world couch that is so specific to the West and former colonial countries makes a powerful statement – and one that’s been well received. People coming into Everard Read’s Joburg gallery, where it’s on display, are fascinated by the message and medium (and yes, keen to sit on the work).

While Blessing says he’s more interested in an idea than in the way it manifests, at FNB Art Joburg, which took place from 2 to 4 September, he expanded on the couch’s theme. For the Everard Read booth dedicated to his work, he and its curator Nkuli Nhleko created an immersive space that include a love seat, a foot stool and an occasional chair, all made from specially printed fabric that was based on a related series of his artworks. “To mirror the layered, dynamic style of Blessing’s work – which often includes paint, gold leaf and even charcoal – the fabric was embellished with embroidery, gold thread, beads, fringes and the like,” says Nkuli. “The installation highlighted a deeply disturbing yet touching history – but was also an homage to those enslaved people.”

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The winner of 2020’s Most Beautiful Object in South Africa was announced on the final day of the Design Indaba Conference in Cape Town on 28 February.

This year’s accolade went to Izandla Zethu African Jewellery’s “Delicate Bracelet”. Nominated by artist and activist Blessing Ngobeni (featured here), the bracelet is hand-made from recycled corrugated iron.

“I like the fact that it’s made from corrugated iron sheet, a piece of material South Africans are very familiar with,” says Blessing. “The material got me thinking about the meaning of beauty, and how art should be honest and truthful. I like the fact that this piece has been handmade from recycled material. ‘Izandla Zethu’ means ‘our hands’ in isiXhosa, and the object inspires young people to open their eyes to existing opportunities in their immediate environment, and use their skills to help combat youth unemployment.”

Izandla Zethu, a non-profit community project based in Walmer in Port Elizabeth, prides itself on designing sustainable African jewellery and creating employment and skills development programmes for young people.

Follow @izandlazethu on Instagram to keep up to date with the brand’s work.

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The story of this year’s winner of the Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Visual Art Blessing Ngobeni is one of overcoming great social, economic and academic adversity, and channelling art as a means to heal and inspire. 

The multi-award-winning Limpopo-born artist survived a difficult childhood, spent mostly as a runaway, and a stint in prison. It was behind bars where he was exposed to art through the Tsoga (Wake Up) Arts Project. But that was not where his challenges ended. Following his artworks being stolen in 2008 from one of the gallery’s who represented him, he took a year’s break from creating art.

It was when he began again in 2010 that the style he is now well known for emerged. “It was difficult to get quality materials; I had to use what I could came across, such as recycled materials, which resulted in the mixed-media art I do today,” he explains. “The method was experimental – cutting up images of the work of masters such as Gerard Sekoto and Picasso. I fell in love with the sound of scissors cutting old art magazines into the different shapes and the process of dripping – a result of the tears I had inside me.”

His skill has extended to sculpture, performance, installation, video and sound, with the latter having seen him work with this year’s Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz Sisonke Xonti. Of the award Blessing says he’s proud that his message is getting across and sees it as an opportunity that will amplify his career.

“I’m inspired by all the creative individuals who never give up contributing great ideas that can change the minds of others around the world,” he says. Blessing has an upcoming solo exhibition at Everard Read in March titled Replica Every Sang.

“It pertains to history and its significance to the modern style of narration: How the child of this generation misinterprets the consequences of the re-writing of stories that are confrontational, and how it is assured that all that it’s been fed is a replica of the past,” he says of the exhibition. “At some point the mirrored image of our continent has been narrated back to us, with a foreign accent, so that you can hear the tone of voice of thieves, under the name of donor.”

In addition to the solo show, which is on at Everard Read, 3 Portswood Road, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town, from 4 to 25 March 2020, Blessing has upcoming shows all over the world, including an exhibition at the National Arts Festival in Makhanda in July through the Standard Bank Young Artist Award. 

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The nominees for 2020’s Most Beautiful Object in South Africa have been announced.

Forming part of the Design Indaba Festival programme, Most Beautiful Object in South Africa is made up of 10 objects / projects, each nominated by a local industry leader and personality, from artists and performers to fashion designers and film directors.

The winner will be announced at the Design Indaba Festival, running from 26 – 28 February 2020, in Cape Town. Last year, the award went to Houtlander for the design duo’s Interdependence Bench II.

You can vote online for your favourite at designindaba.com. The objects will also be on view at Nightscape, a ticketed after-hours event that is open to the public and forms part of the Festival.

Below, in no particular order are the list of nominees and nominators:

• ‘Zenande’ from Zizipho Poswa’s Magodi series, a ceramic sculpture inspired by traditional African hairstyles (nominated by creative director and GQ’s Best Dressed Man 2018, Seth Shezi)

Image credit: Hayden Phipps

• The hanging Soroban installation at FYN restaurant, a design collaboration between Tristan du Plessis and Christof Karl, inspired by the Japanese abacus (nominated by urban strategist and founder and director of Our Future Cities, Rashiq Fataar)

• Thebe Magugu’s Dawning installation, launched at Somerset House during London Fashion Week, designed to represent South Africa and its Constitution (nominated by performer and creative director of ArteBOTANICA, Manthe Ribane)

• Rich Mnisi’s Nwa-Mulamula Chaise, a tribute to the designer’s late great-grandmother (nominated by fashion designer Lukhanyo Mdingi)

Image credit: Hayden Phipps

• Photographs from Tiaan Nagel’s 19/20 “Remember Who You Are” campaign, inspired by a piece of writing by Ntokozo Mbokazi (nominated by South African-born actress Jodi Balfour)

• A plaster version of William Kentridge’s bronze Open sculpture, which forms part of the current sculpture exhibition at the Norval Foundation (nominated by CEO of the Norval Foundation and former Director of Institutional Development and External Affairs at Zeitz MOCAA, Elana Brundyn)

• Robinson the raffia dog by local brand Chommies, designed to display Chommies’ hand-crafted designs (nominated by House and Leisure editor Charl Edwards)

• The “Delicate Bracelet” by Izandla Zethu African Jewellery. This hand-made design, made from recycled corrugated iron, aims to inspire young people to use their skills to combat unemployment amongst the youth (nominated by artist and activist Blessing Ngobeni)

• Self-portrait by Trevor Stuurman. “The image shows a creative king, someone who represents the progress African artists have made on the world stage,” says film director Sunu Gonera, who nominated the image.

• Githan Coopoo’s sculpted earrings, hand-made jewellery that crosses the boundaries between fashion and art (nominated by textile designer and ethical manufacturer Sindiso Khumalo)

Vote for your favourite at designindaba.com and find out more about Design Indaba 2020 at conference.designindaba.com.

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The fair runs from 22 to 24 August 2014 at the Sandton Convention Centre. For more info, visit fnbjoburgartfair.co.za.

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