Born in 1981 in Molteno, Eastern Cape Asanda Kupa
is one of South Africa’s contemporary artists to collect.
Kupa currently lives in Johannesburg, and
frequently returns to his childhood home in Molteno. He holds an NDip in Fine
Art from Walter Sisulu University and a BTech degree from Tshwane University of
Technology. Between 2009 and 2011, he resurrected the Molteno Museum and was
the recipient of both the Ann Bryant Young Artist of the Year award (2010), and
the Reinhold Cassirer Award (2013). His work sits in a number of
important South African collections, including The Southern African Foundation
for Contemporary Art and Nando’s.
Kupa’s work highlights notions of
togetherness as Kupa often depicts groups and collectives of people all showing
up for a common goal, whether it be in protests of injustices, or celebrations
of joy. With titles such as “Intlangano yolonwabo” (The coming together
of joy), “Crowds have names” and “Bembethe ingubo enye behamba
indlela enya” (They are covered by the same blanket and walking the same
path) Kupa articulates how so much can be achieved through coming together and
an added reliance on one another. Kupa calls upon the African notion of Ubuntu,
community, and commonality, to discuss pertinent social issues in works such as
“Iqumrhu” (a caucus) and calls for elation and jubilation with respect to each
other.
Often featured in Kupa’s artistic
practice is the meticulous the manner in which he captures the black population
struggles, protests, political instability, and failures of leaders to its
people. Kupa’s work is at times inspired by the “The Marikana Massacre of 16
August 2012” as he continues to depict South Africa’s political history,
reflecting the depth of economies of hope, hopelessness, power struggles, and
popular protest. Concerned with the experiences of those forced to the
periphery of ‘The New South Africa’ Kupa’s expressive use of oil paint as a
medium depicts the emotional turmoil, chaos and struggles within the
hierarchical society of South Africa.
When one looks at the works of Kupa,
one gets a notion of the power of group economics which involves coming
together consciously in pursuit of common economic interests to sustain and
secure each other. As if there isn’t a better time for groups of people to come
together to create spaces and sites of inclusivity and economic freedom for the
previously disadvantaged in South Africa especially now with the collapsing of
the economy. He calls for one and one to come together and stand for the many
in attempts to reach better frontiers in the present and the future.
