Seeking
A debut solo exhibition by N'lamwai Luntha Chithambo
22.08.2025 - 05.10.2025
Artist Statement - N'lamwai Luntha Chithambo
Less fixated on a particular theme, this exhibition takes a look at my holistic artistic approach in recent years. The artworks bring together six visual elements that have become familiar iconography in my paintings and that are used to express inner contemplations. These are hands, wings, light shining through clouds, portraiture, figures, and the starry night. As such, various sub-topics pop up in the exhibition but perhaps the common thread within my work is the storytelling element.
From a young age I have always been inclined to storytelling. From avidly collecting book after book of the Supa Strikas comic book franchise to creating my own stapled, crayon and Khoki pen comics, my childhood years were filled with imagination and seeking after the imaginary. It is no surprise then that my work frequently makes use of allegories. From perceptions of self to perceptions of faith, each painting acts as a story within itself with the aim of uncovering internal complexities and matters of the heart.
Full exhibition and exhibition text available on the KZNSA website in the link below.
Young Artists' Project - Excerpt from KZNSA Website
Initiated in 2002, by then KZNSA curator Storm Janse van Rensburg, The Young Artists’ Project ‘came out of a desire to create some kind of energy around young artists in the city, to get an ecosystem going around young artists, along with the writing workshop with young writers’. The project was initiated as an annual project designed to stimulate a ‘next generation’ of artists, by creating an experimental component to the NSA Gallery exhibitions programme, where invited young artists annually work closely with a curator to produce their first solo. The YAP was revived in 2020 and, thanks to the financial support from Rand Mutual Assurance, is once again on the Gallery’s calendar for 2025.
While Durban’s art-loving public will have an opportunity to share in the work of this year’s talented intake during the exhibition period, the project primarily provides a platform for the support of young artists in conceptualising and producing new work. It facilitates mentorship and knowledge exchange between established and emerging artists, encourages critical thinking, peer to peer feedback, and artistic risk-taking, and guides artists in preparing professional material
This year’s Young Artists’ Project edition includes two (2) early career artists and four (4) aspirant writers, all of whom will receive support to realise their inaugural exhibitions and mentorship to develop their skills, contributing to the broader cultural discourse and leading to increased sales and visibility, significantly enhancing their careers.
The exhibitions, titled Seeking by N’lamwai Chithambo and Disgust, Fear and Hell by Zama Cebsile Mwandla, will officially open on Friday 22 August. The artists will host Walkabouts on Saturday 23 August from 10:00 to 12:00, which are free, and open to the public. In addition, there will be opportunities for school and university groups to visit the gallery and meet with the featured artists, on a ‘By Appointment’ basis.
ARTISTS – N’lamwai Luntha Chithambo and Zama Mwandla
WRITERS – Sneziwe Mahlalela, Ladia Kasimu, Mbusi Nhlakanipho Mzolo, Thobekile Nontando Kweyama
