Siyabonga Mlambi

Crafting Art from the Heart of South Africa

Siyabonga Mlambi hails from the picturesque town of Bizana, nestled in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. This region is renowned for being the birthplace of icons such as Winnie Madikizela Mandela and the anti-apartheid luminary Oliver Tambo. Bizana is a place where warm hospitality, rich cultural traditions, breathtaking landscapes, and the melodic Xhosa click language intermingle to create a unique and captivating tapestry of life.

Siyabonga’s journey into the world of art is akin to a love story that began in his childhood and blossomed into a full-blown affair by the time he completed high school. During his college years, he delved deeper into his passion for art and design, where he nurtured an affinity for natural color palettes and the inherent beauty of his surroundings. Upon graduating, Siyabonga’s palette expanded to encompass a diverse array of mediums, including acrylic, fabric, stones, grass, found materials, ink, and graphite. This wide-ranging choice of medium would become a defining characteristic of his artistic style.

As he honed his skills, Siyabonga ventured into a realm of experimentation, seeking a style that would become uniquely his own. It was in this journey that he stumbled upon what would later become his signature: Khanda-Art Superblur African Synthetic Cubism.

Siyabonga’s Khanda-Art Superblur African Synthetic Cubism is a captivating style that engages the viewer on an emotional level, inviting them to explore the realm of beauty that can be felt with the heart rather than seen with the eye. Khanda, a term with Nguni origins, signifies the process of creating something from scratch, a meticulous molding and development to give birth to something of intrinsic value. This art movement is the offspring of a universe deeply rooted in the heart of (South) Africa, and its primary goal is to inspire and entertain, urging the imagination to roam freely and break through the boundaries of expectation.

Siyabonga’s work is a celebration of the basic and fundamental elements of life—lines, shapes, color, and texture. He places particular emphasis on lines, seeing them as the vital veins breathing life into his artwork. Lines signify motion, connecting colorful characters and uniting one to another. This symbolism reflects concepts of unity, respect, and, above all, love.

Positivity radiates from Siyabonga’s work, a recurring and central theme in his collection. Each piece is a testament to the artist’s profound love for the creative process, where art becomes a conduit for evoking beauty, expanding imaginations, and nurturing the human spirit.

Bio

2019 – LAE Group exhibition –– “Contemporary African Art meets European Design” – European Light & Design Centre

2019 – Group Exhibition – “Africa’s Art Collective Seasons Spring 2019” – The Mall of Africa

2019 – Turbine Art Fair

2019 – Group Exhibition – “Africa’s Art Collective Seasons Autumn 2019” – The Mall of Africa

2019 – LAE Group Exhibition –– “African Influences” – The Hyatt Regency Hotel Rosebank

2019 – Group Exhibition – Curated by Leigh Rein – Werksmans Sandton

2018 – LAE Group Exhibition – “Thebe Ya Mosadi – She is Power” – Urban Tree Sandton

2018 – LAE Group Exhibition – “FNB Early Childhood Development Fundraiser” – FNB Private Wealth Sandton

2016 – Group Exhibition – Margate Art Museum – South Coast KZN