Nambowa Malua’s digital portraits pop up like the first green cracking through the scorched online earth of profile pictures, Bitstrips and sage sentiments written in Helvetica over sunsets.
In between status updates and selfies, Selma Kaulinge gazes up at the sky with a decorated hand under her chin and a tangle of hair defying gravity in a world made of brush strokes, browns and artistic license.
The online crowd thumbs their approval in droves. Someone has the audacity to call “shotgun on T-shirt rights” and at the end of it all Selma says a simple: “My friend Nambowa Malua did it. It’s beautiful!”
About a month or so before this, Malua captured Spoken Word poet and artist, Don Stevenson in muted black and white, and his portraits of playwright Jacques Mushaandja begin to create a hype that wonders which artist or media personality Malua will capture next.
In all his portraits there seem to be a considered intensity coupled with the praise of inner beauty, boosted by his treatment of his subject matter, their popularity and their lauded creativity.
In days long gone or that follow, Malua will recreate such enigmatic characters as blogger Bognahn Möller, photographer Victoria Ashipala, artist Dimitri Karon, muso Matthew Ishitile and singer Feiyo Peik.
Though the swirl of vibrant brushstrokes suggest a traditional canvas and easel, the young illustrator and lead designer creates his portraits in Adobe Photoshop on a 27 inch screen iMac using a Wacom Cintiq 12wx drawing tablet. Just as modern is his choice of esteemed gallery which is no less than… his Facebook wall.
“Social media is a great way for artists to market and promote their work, and Facebook itself is a fantastic social media tool for artists to find new audiences. Everyone is getting on board. But my aim for now is to create hype and a strong database of fans and followers of my art, both locally and abroad,” says Malua.
“I think my artworks are always well embraced because I take time to study my subject matter from photographs and I use Facebook to assist me in providing the traits and personalities of the people I paint.”
Though most people viewing his portraits on Facebook are unaware of his connection with these artists and some patiently await their turn to be immortalised as members of Windhoek’s creative society, contrary to how it may appear to the casual fan, Malua did not pick these artists at random.
“There is a lot of personal history with these individuals. The history was my main drive in choosing these people as my subject matter. They are very dear to me and they all form part of my life as an artist,” says Malua.
“Don Stevenson is my mentor. As my former lecturer, he would constantly advise and motivate me to pursue art as a career. His role in my life is indispensable and irreplaceable.”
Though Don is certainly revered, the artist who has been most captured by Malua is Jacques Mushaandja.
“Jacques Nashilongweshipwe Mushaandja, the Black Bantu Child, is a very good friend of mine. He and I share a very strong cultural and identity restoration vision. He stands as hope for lost identities across the Bantu people of Southern Africa. Jacques carries with him a very strong spirit that brings people of diverse cultural backgrounds together,” says Malua.
“He is said to be the brew of the thoughts, aspirations and pride of a young African man who has the urge and longing to act as the communication medium between the lost voice of the African ancestors and today’s generation. I always try to capture him vividly, in very moving and dramatic poses.”
In terms of capturing an artist, rather than an abstract concept or imagined individual, Malua admits that it is testing.
“Capturing an artist is an immense challenge. There is great depth of intension involved. I believe that one cannot aesthetically express anyone’s truth and feeling without familiarity to their character. In my view there should be a considerable amount of engagement and interaction in order to successfully depict the true essence of any artist,” says Malua.
“It is wonderful and very fulfilling to dig deep in into a fellow artist’s soul and get a glimpse of their visions and dreams.”
Certainly visionary and a dreamer, Malua continues to beguile scores of admirers on social media with each new portrait that seems to arrest the essence of their favourite artists.
With some drawn in the serious tones of black and white and others in vivid explosions of colour, Malua is revered for clothing local artists in art in a way that is both forthright and fascinating while deftly carving out a name for himself with each new thumbs up.
As Malua works towards an exhibition for March this year, which will incorporate both digital and traditional artwork, those not privy to his talent can see his work at http://be.net/NambowaMalua and contact him about commissioning artworks on nambowa@gmail.com or 0814159534.
– marth__vader on Twitter
