For most people, a law degree and a career in the arts occupy different worlds. However, Oscar Muyambo chose both.
The 36-year-old legal professional has built a reputation as a visual artist, musician and creative entrepreneur, but his artistic journey began long before the courtroom.
At five years old, he was already sneaking away from kindergarten to attend art lessons – a decision that foreshadowed a lifelong passion for creativity.
Today, he is better known in creative circles as Oscar The Creator.
“I prefer the digital medium because it is less messy, convenient and more commercially viable given our current blossoming art industry,” he says.
“Surprisingly, the urban landscape of Windhoek has been the most inspirational as far as Namibian landscapes are concerned,” Muyambo says.
“I have artwork inspired by Sossusvlei, but I never actually visited the place. I have just seen it in pictures.”
Instead of physical travel, his work relies on a deep emotional memory of local atmospheres. “Namibia has a lot of breathtaking sunsets. I try to spill the sensations I felt during the breathtaking moments that I have personally experienced and express as much of it as possible on canvas,” he says.
Beyond our borders, a brief art residency in Cape Town also stands out as a major influence that shaped his creative direction.
“As artists, we tend to see beauty in what is perceived as ordinary and try to amplify it in our own unique way,” he explains.
“It’s crazy how the combination of light and shadows can complement each other in order to create something stunning to observe. These so-called ‘empty spaces’ tend to induce deep thought and self-reflection, which only makes the visual experience more profound.”
Because his canvas is digital, Muyambo puts immense effort into making his background textures and lighting look as authentic as possible. He admits he would love to experiment with adding physical elements like sand or local pigments to his pieces in the near future. His colour choices are similarly deliberate, rooted heavily in cultural identity.
He intentionally uses specific hues to represent different communities like the bright pinks of traditional Aawambo clothing and the maroons of the Himba people.
Ultimately, Muyambo’s work is driven by a desire to change how African art is viewed on the global stage. He rejects the idea that local creativity must always be tied to struggle.
“My approach is to amplify the beauty and richness of our culture and people,” he says.
“Most Afro-centric art that I was exposed to growing up revolved around underprivileged people and sad socio-economic dynamics. I wanted to flip that narrative and remove the social stigma that African and Namibian art should induce pity or amplify the narrative of poverty.
“True wealth should not be defined by the atrocities of our history, but rather by the positive outlook of our present moment and the current opportunities that we have thereof.”
When asked if he views his landscape art as a tool for environmental conservation or documentation for future generations amid climate change, Muyambo remains candid.
“Honestly, I never really think that far. I just create what I feel is beautiful, whether it be landscape or people,” he says.
“I just feel as artists it is our duty to express as much as we can through the talent we are given, while we can, given our limited, unpredictable time on this planet.”
For those who have never visited Namibia, he hopes his diverse collection serves as an open invitation to a country that holds vast, beautiful varieties of cultures, flora and fauna in a small population.
Pushing his own boundaries remains his main goal to avoid falling into what he calls “the web of monotony.”
His most taxing project to date reflects this constant drive to experiment.
“I would personally say the ‘Grey African Woman’ piece was the most challenging one because I wanted to fuse two different art styles and merge them seamlessly,” he says.
“I am glad that it surpassed my initial expectations, despite the hours and rough drafts that were put in.”
