TALENTED visual artist Nhlakanipho Goba will be featured at the Woza Moya Artists Wall for February.

The KwaNyuswa resident in the Valley of a 1000 Hills holds a Diploma in Fine Arts from DUT where he majored in printmaking, drawing, and ceramics.

As an artist, he initially focused on portrait drawings using ballpoint ink and graphite pencils. He also has a strong interest in wildlife and animals.

“Nhlakanipho has been working with the humble ballpoint pen since 2017, drawn to it for its accessibility and affordability. Ballpoint pens are usually associated with school and office work, often a hotly contested item, as there never seem to be enough, but in Nhlakanipho’s hands, the pen becomes a tool for creating powerful artworks,” said Woza Moya executive manager Paula Thomson.

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She said a ballpoint pen is an unforgiving medium: there is no room for mistakes, and the pens themselves can misfire, creating blobs that leave the artist with very little control.

“Artists who work in this medium must be fearless. It is also extremely time-consuming, as layer upon layer is required to build tone, demanding a rare kind of patience. Each artwork can take days to complete, while many of his large-scale pieces require up to three weeks of painstaking work.”

Because we have all used a ballpoint pen, Thomson said everyone can immediately relate to Goba’s work.

“This familiarity makes his art feel accessible, while we look on in awe at how he transforms an everyday object into highly detailed and expressive artworks.

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“His work investigates his childhood and fond memories of growing up in a rural environment. He reflects on a time when children had the freedom to play outdoors, noting that many children today spend more time indoors and on video games,” said Thomson.

Goba, who described himself as an introverted person, said he spends a lot of time observing other people.

“In my work, I wish to show the fun side of rural childhood.”

The Upper Highway artist also takes on pet and people portraits.

Uplifting artists

The concept behind the Woza Moya Artists’ Wall and Artists’ Cards is to create and showcase artists’ work. Each month a different artist is paid to paint or sculpt a feature piece on a 1.1m x 1.1m wall panel which is displayed outside the Woza Moya Hillcrest Aids Centre shop. Woza Moya is the economic empowerment project of the Hillcrest Aids Centre Trust and assists the artist by marketing their work for the entire month. A greeting card is made of the painted wall panel and sold in their shops so the artists can earn an ongoing passive income.

This has worked well with artists earning from R200 to R1000 a month from the sale of the cards. The Woza Moya Artists’ Wall thanked the 100% Foundation for coming on board with an ongoing sponsorship and making this monthly event possible.

Shop opening times:

Monday to Friday: 08:00 – 16:00 Woza Moya Hillcrest Aids Centre Trust, 26 Old Main Road, Hillcrest

Monday to Friday: 09:00 – 17:00 Woza Moya, Kloof Fields Centre

Saturdays: 08:00 – 14:00 HACT and 09:00 – 14:00 Kloof Fields shop

Email: wozamoya@hillaids.org.za

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