Born
in South Africa in 1998, Kaya Siqongile Gwebu is a visual artist and
illustrator based in Johannesburg. Kaya Gwebu goes by the alias “Somebody Tall”
as a way to partially dissociate himself from his work and allow it to flourish
on its own.
Another reason he operates under the alias is because of his belief that we all
have biases, and the name gives anonymity that provides some form of security
for him as a person.
From a
history of bullying due to his physical height, the name Somebody Tall was
birthed when he chose to rewrite his life’s narrative. After practicing and
experimenting in various media, Kaya ventured into digital illustration in 2018
as he believed modern illustration allowed him to use colour freely and truly
let his imagination run wild.
Kaya
prides himself in his aesthetic, which combines palatable doses of surrealism
and primitivism. His work is fundamentally founded upon the concept of mankind
working together with nature. As humans our connection to this earth is very literal,
from the air we breathe to the very ground we tread on. Whatever theme he chooses
to explore, this fundamental element is consistent in all his work.
Kaya’s
most notable achievement so far is being identified as an Emerging Creative by
the Design Indaba for the year 2020. He has also partnered with various local
and international brands who were keen on using his art style for their
marketing, namely VANS, Mini Cooper, Greenpeace Africa, ColorBloc magazine, and
Journal Cue just to name a few.
With his
art, Kaya hopes to perpetuate the idea of African art. Showing the world that
being African is not an aesthetic or a trend, but a lifestyle, a heritage, and a marker he is proud to bear.
