Highly elaborate and expressive,
the works of Buhle Nkalashe are a marvel to look at.
Residing in Kayelitsha and
working from the Airport Industrial in Cape Town, South Africa, Buhle Nkalashe
is a visual artist who incorporates mixed media like oil and acrylic paint as
well as oil pastels in his striking work.
Fascinated by the idea of how
patterns and colour can be a symbol of identity, Nkalashe’s art documents how African
contemporary culture has evolved over the years and how traditional symbols
that speak to heritage are incorporated into everyday contemporary aesthetics.
Being in the industry for more
than ten years, Nkalashe has had the pleasure of having his debut solo exhibition
at The New African, at Youngblood Africa Gallery (2018) and has also participated
in several group exhibitions in Cape Town and Johannesburg at significant
galleries and international art fairs such as the Zeitz MOCAA (2020), and Turbine
Art Fair (2019).
Nkalashe has further been
featured in various Saatchi catalogues and collections and was recently
identified as the “Best Young Artists to Collect by Saatchi Art Online. In 2019,
Nkalashe collaborated with a menswear clothing brand, Fields Store (Cape Town)
as well as published four collection books in 2021.
Nkalashe has also completed the Zanele Muholi residency and has an upcoming group show New Africa at Salon Mondial Freilager-Platz 10, 4142 Münchenstein, Switzerland (2021).
Throughout his life, Nkalashe
has been exposed to many cultural events and ceremonies, particularly in his
isiXhosa culture. In these gatherings, people perform rituals while asking for blessings.
During the celebrations Nkalashe
notes melodies of songs sung that tend to tell stories of young and old.
Interested in the aesthetics of
these events such as weddings, funerals, and celebrations, Nkalashe notes the intricate
patterning, vivid colour, and elaborate texture gathered from the varied attires
worn at the events.
Aiming to identify and celebrate
expressive patterns, colour, beadwork, and texture associated with celebrations
in his community, Nkalashe regards the aesthetics as strong symbols of the diverse
South African ethnicity.
Noticing similarities between Xhosa,
Zulu, and Ndebele patterning and colour, Nkalashe felt the need to reimagine
these visual aesthetics together in attempts of contributing to contemporary
visual and social culture.
