Mpumelelo Bhengu‘s urban and bold art references pop culture with his own South African twist. We chat with him about his influences and process, from drawing on walls to working with clients.

How did you get into your line of art?

I’ve been fascinated with drawing for a very long time. It started at a very young age, glued to the TV screen watching cartoons. We spent most of the days as kids watching cartoons, which think was when the the seed was planted in my head in regards to a career where you get to draw all the time. Days were spent tracing comic books and drawing on walls (which got me into too much trouble). I was fascinated by who gets to draw these animated shows on TV.

I think a more definitive moment of what exactly it was that wanted to do was when I went to college. I got exposed to what creatives, in other countries, were doing and this is where I also realised that you can become an illustrator, which here in South Africa, was quite rare. There wasn’t a stable platform for it here at the time. The more I got exposed to illustrators the clearer it became as to what I wanted from a creative career, and what I could specialise in. 

In South Africa back then, most institutions, when it came to visual arts, focused mostly on Graphic Design and fine arts. You kinda had to create your path/narrative back then, if you wanted to be an Illustrator because the Industry was still small.

After a few years/stints in advertising, as a Graphic Designer/Art director, I decided to take the leap and pursue illustration full-time. It wasn’t easy but I am glad and grateful that I made the change and pursued it.

Describe your work in 3 words.

Urban, fun, bold

Commission or your own work?

My own work all the way. When I had just started, as a freelancer, I was trying to do as many commissioned jobs as possible. This most of the time tended to end up doing trend-based work which is normally referenced by a client. I was more so adapting to international visual trends, rather than being hired for my uniqueness or the value I bring to the table as a creative.

I prefer working on self Initiated briefs. This is very important to my growth process and it helps me put out work that I would like to do. These projects very much lead to the type of client work that I would like to do.

When starting out, clients used to reference other illustrators’ work as a visual guideline and now it’s really amazing when a client gives you free rein to create in your style. Most clients I have nowadays, often reference my work that they’ve either seen on Instagram or Behance.

Personal projects allow you to craft, explore and experiment in different ways. There’s amazing sincerity with personal work. Proactive work is YOU.

What mediums do you use?

My process is very much digital. I use my iPad most of the time cause of mobility and I can go sit somewhere outside and sketch ideas, using a program called Procreate. I use Adobe Illustrator a lot and that’s because most of the illustrations end up being scaled up and Adobe Illustrator can maintain crisp and clean line work.

With all that being said, I still believe the foundation and traditional process shouldn’t be neglected, pencil and paper. There’s something organic and personal when you are sketching ideas on paper and I think it keeps you grounded, especially in this age of technology. Software is one of many tools that help streamline the process, but nothing beats a blank piece of paper and a pencil.

I also buy art books which help from a fundamentals refresher post of view. I also carry field notes with me most of the time.

What’s your superhero alter ego?

I would say Spiderman/Peter Parker. I dig his optimistic nature and doesn’t take himself seriously. He’s also not afraid to try, make mistakes and try again. There’s a relatable human element within him. Spider is just a dude trying to figure out life while he saves people.

Typical Day?

I maintain a 9-5 type routine even though I work from my spot most of the time. This creates structure.

My day is broken down into 3 sections. I wake up around 6 or 7 am. Sleep has become such a priority for me because of how refreshed you feel after you’ve had a good night’s sleep…also I’m at the age where my day gets cloudy if I haven’t had a good night’s sleep.

Once I’m done eating breakfast, I then look at my “TO DO” list for the day. I prefer doing any admin in the mornings, which consists of emails, social media, Invoicing and quotes. This is also when I do my reach-out/lead engagement. This I call the “business development” time.

Around 11 am I start waking on client work, pending on what’s on my plate at the moment. It can be anything from sketching ideas from a client, prepping work and maybe upkeep on existing work. 

If there isn’t much client work, I continue with my proactive briefs. Overall this Time is primarily allocated to client work.

I knock off around 5 or 6 latest then go for a run or a walk. This lets me reflect on the day and to distress.

Evenings are mostly spent chilling and I try and keep my iPad close by should get a light bulb moment and need to sketch something quickly. I’m an avid gamer so I try and allocate some time for this as it also plays an important part in my creative process. I also try and spend an hour or so learning something new, be it a new program or a podcast. I’m currently experimenting with 3d software. Not sure where it is going but I’m having so much fun. Investing in yourself is important

I also make time to catch up with people and reply to messages on social media. I plan as much of the following day as possible before I sleep.

I also have random off days where you just need to get out of the house and do something fun.

Also, you never know where inspiration might come from. GET OUT and GET SOME FRESH AIR.

Plans for the rest of the year?

I’ve been working on a few amazing briefs lately and I’m grateful. 

I’m working on a few self-funded projects/briefs which are pushing me out of my comfort zone a bit. The main goal is to keep being consonant and grow even further.

Follow Mpumelelo on Instagram, here.

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The post Artists We Love: Mpumelelo Bhengu appeared first on Visi.

After spotting Cape Town-based artist Hubert Barichievy’s little pop bust sculptures at his recent exhibition at 91 Loop Street in Cape Town, we got in touch to find out more about these colourful creations.

When did you start making pop busts?

I started sculpting the first of the pop busts around August 2013.

How do you choose which icons to create?

The choice of icons or heroes was not an easy task. I started with Frida Kahlo, Andy Warhol and Salvador Dalí – as an artist I thought the best way for me would be to start with artists. There were a few that had to be in the series as popular culture figures, drawing from Andy Warhol’s famous silkscreen portraits. Some were learned through conversation and some of them were added to give an edge to the series. Most of all, the icons where chosen for their personal attributes, their certain traits, their stories, their individualism. If I look at Bruce Lee, I see dedication and practice, Bill Murray reminds me not to take life so seriously, and if I see Gandhi, I think, “Be the change you want to see in the world”. All the busts have a certain attribute that I can use in my toolbox of life.

What are the busts made of and how long do they take to make from start to finish?

The busts start as a lump of Plasticine. I hand sculpt the busts then create a mould and cast the bust with a polyurethane-based product. I generally work on two or three busts at a time. The reason for this is when I get stuck or battle with a bust I move over to a different one and sometimes solve the problem.

The time spent on a bust is hard to tell, as I do other work and other sculptures during the day and work on the busts when I have the time. I think my quickest one was around 75 hours, the longest one, I shudder to think. I spent enough time on one to build a small house from scratch, including planting the grass and painting the walls.

Which one of your busts is your favourite, and why?

That is a tricky question. My favourite changes, as it depends what I’m personally focusing on. My favourite currently would be Sir David Attenborough. I am trying to find a way where I can further my skills as a sculptor, yet give something back to communities. In the spirit of Attenborough, I feel I need to be more involved in protecting or creating awareness of our beautiful world, specifically South Africa.

Sir David Attenborough

What’s next for you?

I have been blessed with the pop busts and will definitely revisit the series in future, but I feel I need to build on my skills as a sculptor. I have two projects that I am currently working on. I am building up a body of work for my first solo exhibition – these works will be completely different from the bust series, but will be drawing on the skills and lessons I learned. I am also working on a community-based project that is still in its early stages of conception.

To view more of Hubert’s work, visit his website or keep up to date via Facebook.

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The second day of the Design Indaba Conference really pushed the frontiers of food, science and technology in relation to design. Two standing ovations, one for South Africa’s own Nicholas Hlobo, expressed the audience’s appreciation.

“A trans-disciplinary zeitgeist,” is what MC Michael Bierut called it: artists that are scientists that are designers that are musicians that are programmers that are archivists that are foodies that are writers that are… pornographers?

Archaeology of pop culture

“I collect because I am,” confessed immanent, prolific design writer and art director Steven Heller showing us his “cave” full of mannequins, razors, posters, letterheads, books and various ephemera of counter culture – after he woke us up on Thursday morning with the subversive porn-inspired culture zines he worked on in his teens. Steven calls his collection an archaeological dig and believes that the mannequins talk to him at night. He bases his books on his collections. What VISI would give to be able to take a camera into his house!

Second New York power couple

The second day of the conference was again opened by a husband and wife, with Steven followed by his wife Louise Fili, a graphic designer who specialises in food packaging and restaurant design. Old-school typography and vintage letterpress techniques powered the nostalgic charm of her elegant work. We smiled when she showed us how she even turned the copyright pages in books into a work of creativity, but we fell in love when she said: “Everyone should have a gelato client. Part of my deal with them is that they keep me in constant supply.”

Revitalising communities 

The first speaker after tea, Jeanne van Heeswijk spoke directly to something South Africans could identify with: how to inspire communities to take back their neighbourhoods. Using “urban acupuncture”, design interventions and a provocative relationship with local government, her projects showed how to “radicalise the local”. “We have to confront each other with different ideas of what it means to live together,” she provoked conference delegates.

Flavour souvenirs

Although Brazilian chef Alex Atala could barely speak English, his passion and conviction had most all of us hanging on every word. “Creativity for a chef is not to do something new. It’s to do something that’s surprising,” he told us as he went on to explain how his menu uses age-old basics like grilling (because even vegetarians get hungry at the smell of a braai) and fried onions, with local food stuff and radical ingenuity. He implored us to think more about what we are eating and take responsibility for the environmental effects of our choices. And it all looked (almost) too good to eat!

Xhosa homeboy

After an extended lunch and preview of the Design Indaba Expo, we returned to the auditorium for what we thought was a presentation by internationally renowned local artist Nicholas Hlobo but turned out to be a performance. Accompanied by drummer Kesivan Naidoo and guitarist Reza Khota, with evocative video footage of Xhosa initiation ceremonies spliced with his own work and personal photo album, all the while subtitled with stream-of-consciousness type explanations, Nicholas descended from the rafters in a cocoon, singing in a powerful almost-operatic voice. Everyone was blown away. Nicholas got the first standing ovation of Design Indaba 2013.

Architect with a chemistry kit

A tough act to follow, architect and designer Asif Khan took to the stage next, himself still visibly disconcerted by what had gone before. Starting slowly, Asif got into his groove when he started talking about his beautiful baby’s breath Harvest furniture, indoor clouds created from helium and bubble bath, 3d nylon knitting and the exquisite Swarovski ice halo installation that looks like an inverted disco ball. Respect too, to the man who got Coca-Cola to drop their logo from his Olympic pavilion – the first time ever!

Food for design

Martí Guixé is a food designer – over and above being a product, interior and industrial designer – who doesn’t like cooking or even working with food. His interest in food came about from his fascination with products of mass-production. His negative predilection has inspired some really funny food “solutions”. For instance, the GAT (gin and tonic) fog to make people more sociable at art gallery openings without having to carry a glass around and the hands-free lollipop that has three sticks to act as a tripod when setting it on a table. We also loved his series of Camper shoe shops.

The future is here already

The last speaker of the day, Daan Roosegaarde, delivered one of the most powerful presentations ever seen at Design Indaba, with a rousing standing ovation to prove it. Calling his work “techno-poetry” you may have heard of his Intimacy 2.0 fashion on Gareth Cliff’s show last week – clothes that go transparent when the wearer is aroused. This is only the tip of the iceberg for how Daan is applying technology to the most wonderous situations. Take his sustainable dance floor, which generates enough electricity to power the party simply from people dancing on it. What completely blew us away though, jaws on the floor, was a highway that generated electricity from cars driving on it, which was then used to power electric cars! AND it’s real – the first one will be completed in Holland by the end of the year.

Read our highlights from Day 1 and Day 3 at the Design Indaba Conference.

Follow our Design Indaba coverage at visi.co.za/designindaba

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Who is Alex Dodd and how did she come to be researching the Victorian postmodern?

I’m an independent writer with a passion for visual culture, and the interaction between images and words. While studying towards my Masters in Literature at Concordia University in Montréal, Canada, I took a course that explored the literary phenomenon of the Victorian postmodern, which totally captured my imagination. When I returned to South Africa, the theme kept cropping up in artworks I was encountering in my work as a cultural critic. I felt the desire to understand more about what was driving this aesthetic fixation with Victorian styles and themes in contemporary South African culture. So I decided to embark on a PhD, and have spent the past two years researching this theme as a research fellow with the Archive and Public Culture research initiative at the University of Cape Town.

What is the Victorian postmodern?

Over the past few decades there has been an extraordinary global blossoming of texts and images that revise themes from works that initially sprung to life during the 19th century. From hit films by Francis Ford Coppola (Dracula, 1992), Jane Campion (The Piano, 1993 and The Portrait of a Lady, 1996), Tim Burton (Alice in Wonderland, 2010) and Guy Ritchie (Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows 2011) to bestselling novels by AS Byatt (Possession, 1990 and Angels & Insects, 1992) and William Gibson (The Difference Engine, 1990), contemporary culture seems to be rife with appropriations from the 19th century. I’m interested in what makes the Victorians so enticing to our postmodern culture – their elaborate costumes, inventive machinery, bi-polar sexuality, sense of time and place, séances and ancestor relations…

What are some of the pop culture manifestations of this?

I see it everywhere – from the popularity of the Victorian glass bell jar in interior design to the contemporary penchant for collecting bones, skulls or beetles in the vein of 19th century naturalists. If you think of the global popularity of the post-recession ‘maker movement’, it stems back to John Ruskin and William Morris, firebrands of the British Arts and Crafts movement, who advocated simplicity of form and honest use of materials as part of a broader moral philosophy that resisted the faceless numbings and dumbings down of industrialisation. I adore the Victorian-inspired gazebo and pavilion designs of the ingenious British designer Thomas Heatherwick, whose work was celebrated with a major retrospective at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum this year. Then there’s that new themed bar on Bree Street in Cape Town, called The Orphanage, ‘a specialist emporium of artisan cocktails, elixirs, intoxications and delicious morsels of substance’ where some of the cocktails come served in a china teacup. And David Donde’s new Truth Coffee emporium, a flagship roastery housed in a three-storey 19th century warehouse in Cape Town’s East City, featuring wonderfully evocative steampunk styling. The Little Hattery, Cape Town’s go-to bespoke styling company, held its Steampunk launch party there in August and the styling was decidedly sepia-hued.

In the new edition of VISI, we’ve noticed two specific movements, one being Delft. Have you got any specific insight on Delft?

Delft-inspired designs seem to be prompted by a similar archival urge to recover aspects of our material culture that pay homage to our hybrid heritage in fresh, mashed-up ways. In the case of Delft, I think it stems back more to the Dutch strains in the mix, whereas in the case of the Victorian Postmodern it’s about reinventing the stuff left behind by our English ghosts.

The other one that has suddenly hit South Africa is steampunk. What is steampunk?

It’s a retro-futurist literary genre and a pop cultural phenomenon that incorporates 19^th century fashion and technology. Generally, steampunk styling is set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used, but with elements of either science fiction or fantasy. I’m really drawn to the utopian strain in Steampunk and the idea that we can recycle trashed or forgotten elements of our past to invent outlandish new possibilities for the future. One of the key things about it is that it is pre-digital, pre-Apple, pre-atomisation – it’s the opposite of all that sleek seamlessness. The mechanics of the thing are obvious to the eye.

What distinguishes African manifestations of the Victorian postmodern with those in the rest of the world?

This is the most crucial aspect of my research. For the majority of people who live in this country, the words ‘Victorian’ and ‘colonial’ trigger a legacy of damage and division rather than one of inventive splendour and innocent free-range curiosity. So in a South African context, works of this nature tend to be much less nostalgic. I’m looking in particular at artworks by Mary Sibande, Nicholas Hlobo, Kathryn Smith, Santu Mofokeng, Minette Vari and others that have a parody or burlesque element that comes out of a desire for radical rethinking of our racial and sexual identities. There is no point in plundering the past unless you intend to illuminate the present.

Why do you think there is suddenly this global surge in that reviving that part of history?

I think it has to do with the ways in which inherited styles play a part in shaping our cultural identities and our sense of ourselves. In messing about with past styles inherited from our motley crew of ancestors, we have a liberating chance to rewrite ourselves.

What do you intend to do with all your research?

I hope to be awarded my Doctorate and to share my ideas in the form of a beautiful book.

See our full steampunk report here and our Delft report here. In the new SPRING FLING edition of VISI magazine, we feature the brand new steampunk-themed Truth HQ coffee bistro.

More from the SPRING FLING edition of VISI

• New and second-cycle
  Renovation and interior design is seldom a stagnant, once-off affair. The best spaces grow into themselves. See the before pictures of the houses featured in the magazine.

• Deft blue strokes
  Fabric, surfboards, shacks… Something is afoot, and not just in South Africa! From Babylonstoren to Russia, browse our full Delft trend report.

• Popcorn architecture
  We have inspiration from the Architecture ZA 2012 Biennial Festival to share. Watch our online film festival and read our report back.

• Mechanical futurism
  Some say steampunk is what happened when Goths discovered brown. Others say it grew out of a literary genre. Explore our steampunk trend report.

• Joburg Art Attack
  For at least one week in September, Joburg was hit by an art attack. Read the post-mortem and our guide to starting an art collection, written by the experts.

• Winning wishes
  In October, Warren Lewis will be giving away four paintings. Up for grabs over October and November is a Bodum Bistro Coffee Maker from Banks Kitchen Boutique. Enter the competitions here.

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The exciting new Name Your Hood venture aims to bring Cape Town communities closer together.

Name Your Hood is an appeal to Capetonians to consider the smaller, interlocking areas in which they live, work, pray and play and to explore the unique characteristics, qualities and heritages possessed by each.

The names behind the concept – local entrepreneurs, Bruce Good and Nic Lamond – recently launched the campaign to unearth the most creative and functional names for the city’s diverse neighbourhoods – names that will resonate with the people who occupy them.

Like Soho, Tribeca or The Bronx, Name Your Hood is hoping to put a name to the smaller, unnamed areas that together form the region currently known simply as the city bowl. Bruce says that the aim is not to rename suburbs but rather make the inner city more navigable through informed names for spaces that currently go nameless. Plus, he says, “why wouldn’t you want to name a place that you love?”.

At the launch, a panel discussion was held between Bruce, Mokena Makeka (founder of Makeka Design Laboratories), Bulelwa Makalima-Ngewana (MD of Cape Town Partnership) and Mariette du Toit (CEO of Cape Town Tourism).

The panel spoke about the fact that speeding up the organic process of nicknaming a hood is not simply about giving an area a name, or even a pop culture, historical or geographical reference, but rather has the potential to be a catalyst that could see communities attaching value and currency to the names, whether these be the names given through this project or as a result of it.

Submissions to name the first two hoods – the areas around upper Kloof Street and Bree Street – opened on 4 July. Submissions can be made by anyone online or at voting booths located in stores around the city.

Once all submissions have been made, a panel of judges – made up of local celebrities, Cape Town officials and design and media professionals – will create a shortlist, which the public will then get to vote on.

The Name Your Hood project aims to roll out across the entire city in time. It will also launch in Johannesburg and Durban in 2012.

More information: www.nameyourhood.co.za

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