I, Wandile Blessing Mlanda, was born and raised in KwaZulu Natal (Newcastle) in a small village called Osizweni in the year of 1999. I discovered that I’m gifted in art when I was in primary school during art & culture lessons. I fell in love with paintings and that is where I chose to partake in art groups where we were learning about cultures and identity. I am a self-taught artist and started by watching videos on YouTube about how to use different mediums, because I wanted to be a versatile artist. In 2021 I moved to the Free State and I’m doing my first year Bachelor of Art based on Art History at the University of the Free State.
In my work, I reflect on the movement of everyday life around the city and the place where I come from as the contemporary world move on around them. My aim in art is to show that as time move, we as people also change and during our movement, we discover new things, different cultures and identities with different characters and adapt to fit in. In most of my artwork I use charcoal as a medium because it is easy to tell a story with charcoal, easy to bring more details, set a mood and tone, and also express emotions more. My art does not exhibit a singular/group of people, but it moves across generations and cultures and in my work, I depict portrait more than human figures because a portrait consist of more facial expression and language than figures.
My goal is to be a light, to convince the street that hope is alive, and to help young upcoming artists how to use what they have to get what they dream of. Lastly, to be influential in my surroundings with the talent I have.
Competition history:
2022 Entrant