Page 25 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 11

ART & CULTURE

Interview with

Xhanti

MPakama

The Afrikan Bronze Sculptor whose Lifelike Pieces Speak Volumes

Xhanti Mpakama is a South African Sculptor. Born and raised in the Eastern Cape at Willowvale, a small town not
too far from where Nelson Mandela was born. Much of his inspiration comes from the environment of his youth.
This was influenced by the annual migration of men to the gold mines which often caused great hardship to the
women and children left at home with names like Smoking Grandmother, Mother and Child, African Man and
Shepherd Boy. Xhanti now lives and works in Strand near Cape Town, Western Cape.
By Chioma Phillips

In this issue we talked to Xhanti Mpa- activity that I enjoy the most. were lucky because I was in front of
kama, a South Afrikan sculptor whose I continued with it and eventually them. It was also very fulfilling to be
unique bronze sculptures not only capture met a lady who visited the Art Cen- able to feed my family on some-
but animate various aspects of lifestyles tre frequently. She liked what I was thing that is actually my passion, not
and experiences of the Xhosa people who doing a lot and so she took me to my job, but something that I enjoy
were his neighbors, friends and family. various places where I met a lot of doing.
He has also worked on projects involving people in the art scene. One day I
national figures, lending his unique skill met a guy called Warren Knight who You have a very unique artistic
and talent to a dialogue in art that we all actually took all the work that I had voice, how did you find the
can benefit from. done - I think it was six sculptures confidence to express it?
Xhanti showed a natural artistic talent that I had made - and he promised When I was doing Sub-A (now
from an early age, his memories and imagi- to take them to the foundry and known as Grade-R) I had already
native ideas are brought to life in sculp- cast them into bronze. He said that started drawing. When my friends
tures that are both beautiful and sensitive once they were sold we would plan and I were playing around outside,
to his heritage – each one is a story in how I would pay him. He also gave we would take wooden sticks and
itself. The viewer of his pieces could stare me a job because he wanted me to draw on the ground with them. As
for hours at a single piece, putting together understand how the production grew up, instead of stopping, I start-
mental pictures of what was going on in process works when we are making ed drawing with pencils and all that
each one. sculptures. That is how I started stuff. I had all these different things
He designs his work in clay or wax, which sculpting. It had just been a dream in my imagination that I wanted to
is then cast in bronze. His art is available for me until that point. express even though I didn’t know
from selected outlets. where to go in order to make it
How has your art enabled you work the most. There was no way I
How did you get started in to overcome hurdles in your could actually stop it, because I grew
sculpting? Why your prefer- life and society? up doing it and I needed to take
ence for bronze? Art has helped me a lot, especial- whatever chance was available for
I started sculpting at a place called ly once I started to be known out me to pursue it. So when I finally
the Art Centre that was around the there. Once people began to see this got into it, I gave it everything I had.
township. I just wanted to see what different kind of art that I make; I
I could do after being frustrated and actually try to make it as different Your work tends to speak
beginning to doubt whether I had as possible. I also taught kids how about community, women,
chosen the right career or not. It is to do art, young kids who get so ab- family etc. What’s the reason
there that I started doing work that sorbed in it. They reminded me of behind this trend?
began to satisfy me. I like drawing, when I was still young and I didn’t When I eventually started sculpting
but sculpting happened to be the have anybody to teach me but they

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