The Joburg-based illustrator uses self and society as a springboard for her new set of works
There’s no doubt that creating in 2020 is no easy feat. Between the spectre of the Covid-19 pandemic and increasing economic and food security crises is the repression of black lives and livelihoods all around the globe. For Johannesburg-based illustrator and art director Rendani Nemakhavhani, the outside world is not and can’t be the source of her inspiration. Instead, in a series of punchy and powerful illustrations, Nemakhavhani offers a fantastical and empowering perspective on the world.
“This series is an ode to myself first and then to blackness,” she says. “Centering women is definitely something that I enjoy doing in my work… It comes easy for me to draw inspiration from women silhouettes. My intention with this work is to prove to myself that I am good enough.”
And it’s very ‘on brand’ for the artist. As a commercial art director, visual storyteller and self-proclaimed ‘President Honey’, Nemakhavhani’s output consistently reflects the power and potential of a self-assured black woman. In her illustrations, black women are adorned with bold accessories, fly hairstyles and a striking sense of style. Though deeply immersed in the (sometimes not so pretty) environment of everyday South African life, the women depicted are strong and sultry, but also joyful and frivolous. Nemakhavhani’s work invites real life black women to look into their mirrors and see these qualities, even in the context of a complicated society.
“The significance of this work for me, is freedom. It’s also a way for me to communicate and represent blackness from a different point of view, not always negative and violent. There are some works that are changing the way we are portrayed in commercial spaces, but those lenses have not been completely changed to look outside of what we believe black people to be. Positive representation is very important to me, and so my work serves that,” she says.
“This series is an ode to myself first and then to blackness”
But representation isn’t the only battle, nor is it necessarily the most important one. Nancy Fraser, the American critical feminist philosopher argues that in order for oppressed communities to be given true space and equity, recognition and redistribution are equally important. And while it is not an overt part of her work, Nemakhavhani’s images speaks to the recognition of blackness and black women as self-driven, self-actualising individuals, placed at the centre of their own stories - as opposed to footnotes in narratives made somewhere else by someone else. Where redistribution is concerned, she believes that this is a crucial step of the Black Lives Matter project, particularly when it comes to artists.
“The most urgent need for the black artist community is definitely support through infrastructure and funding. It’s so heart breaking when you (speaking about myself in particular) come across really good opportunities and can’t really pursue them because of your circumstances back home. Also just seeing how Europe is able to support its artists in the ways that they do. It always hacks me because South African artists aren’t seen as being problem solvers. Our contribution is severely underrated, and so the material investment in us is minimal.”
For now, Nemakhavhani continues to make work that serves her and her community. Juggling a day job in advertising, an upcoming online auction of one of her works, and some futuristic ideas for 2021 and beyond; the pandemic has thankfully not slowed her drive.
“I’ve been working from home, I’ve become more productive. I have time to balance my 9-5 with my passion projects better. I didn’t have that before, and so I am very grateful for that. There are times when I feel like I am going a little crazy because I’m in the house so much. It’s mostly just me trying to keep myself sane by making work.”
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Packed with South African iconography, afro-futurist energy and the goal of growing and evolving further, Nemakhavhani is an important illustrator to watch. Her ability to communicate the pride of blackness while at once holding close to everyday reality, makes her an important voice in the ever-elusive quest to make the real the old adage, ‘Black is Beautiful’.