The major contemporary African art fair, AKAA (Also Known As Africa), welcomes 34 galleries from October 18 to 20 in Paris, including 5 based in Africa and some with great difficulty coming to France. Among the works of around a hundred artists presented, one of the great discoveries is Reggie Khumalo. Born in South Africa, he currently lives in Zanzibar. With his motorcycle, he crossed all borders and traveled all over Africa. Perhaps for this reason too, the images of this self-taught painter go beyond the frame. Interview.
RFI : Your table Victories in Vines (“ Victories of the vine “) is spectacular :2 meters high, 3 meters wide, it shows an African woman drinking wine, surrounded by dancing men. Why is this painting part of your series? The echo of our ancestors ?
Reggie Khumalo: This painting speaks of the past and the presence of ancestors at all times of our lives. The men dance behind this woman, it is a moment of celebration. She drinks a nice glass of wine, having managed to overcome trauma, something that her ancestors probably also struggled with. And the ancestors congratulate her.
The bodies of the ancestors are embodied by green plants.
The plant represents nature. I feel like nothing is ever lost on the planet. It’s a continuous cycle of recycling, because nothing ever leaves the planet, unless you leave on a spaceship… We come from the earth, we will return to the earth. That’s what I always feel. For example, people in the diaspora, even if they are not at home, they can still find a connection with their people through the nature around us.
In the center of your painting, why is there a woman and not a man? ?
Because of the role women have played in my life. They often showed up. When I traveled the continent, women were omnipresent, with children, carrying water, working so hard… I want to give a platform to women who do so many things that we don’t see.
And then, there is also a woman who really helped me, who became my second mother. When I was in South Africa, when no one believed in my work, she said to me: “ I see something in you. » She supported me, introduced me to friends who bought my works, organized exhibitions. If I am here today, it is thanks to this person who believed in my work.
In several works, the painting comes out of the frame, the dresses painted on the canvas extend beyond the frame in the form of real fabric repeating the motif of the painting.
The dress stands out from the painting to remind me of the people I saw everywhere when I rode my motorbike across the African continent. Different clothes refer to different places, to different countries. During my trip, I said to myself: “ What if I took these people with me ? How can I do this ? » So I started incorporating fabric into my work. When the fabric comes out of the frame, it’s as if these people were there, in 3D, alive.
I am all in one (“ I’m all in one “) shows a woman dressed in a golden dress and biting into a red apple.
It’s actually three apples in one. To realize that, at any moment, you have to choose. The past is represented by the red apple. The golden apple represents capitalism, the times in which we live. And the black apple, which represents the purest form of what humanity is meant to be, is the central element within us. On the board, there are three apples. And at any time, you must choose one of these three apples within yourself.
How did you get into art? ?
Well, it was always there and it was art that found me. It’s on my mind. I feel like, without art, I would be dead.
You went to an art school, a university ?
No, I didn’t go to art school. I am a self-taught artist.
You were born in South Africa, why are you now living in Zanzibar ?
I have lived in many parts of Africa. I’m in Zanzibar at the moment, because I love nature. I like water. I love this serene space. There I can concentrate on my work and listen to my mind a little more. There aren’t many distractions. I can go inside myself.
Were you influenced by Zanzibar artists, or by South African artists, or by other artists ?
I wouldn’t say I’m influenced by other artists, because I feel like they have a different spirit that they want to share. My work is me and this is what I have to share. But I received encouragement from other artists.
The image with the golden dress is from the series The new temptation. As a painter, what is your biggest temptation? ?
The biggest temptation is to lose myself in success. I think about all the money and all the clouds that come with success: the stardom, the fame and the mentality that goes with it. I want to keep my feet on the ground. My new temptation is to be in a space of success, but to be tempted by kindness, love, attention to others. I want to do my job and share and care for others. For this, part of my income generally allows me to build schools, feed children, send young girls to university…
