Raising awareness through art activism: Athenkosi Kwinana

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(Editor’s note: in the following interview, we refer to “person(s) living with Albinism as “PLWA”.)

Athenkosi, for those who don’t know you, please tell us a bit about yourself and your work.

My name is Athenkosi Kwinana, a visual activist born and based in South Africa. I am a black woman
living with Albinism. I am lover of food, adventures, the outdoors and music. I am an activist at heart
and clinophile.

As a person living with Albinism, I have faced discrimination in most aspects of my life. Mostly owing to traditional beliefs and myths related to Albinism, and a lack of education about Albinism. Growing up in a family whose core values involved community development and being an activist at heart, after extensive research and conversations with former university lecturers I released that I could use my love for visual art to create awareness about themes related to Albinism such as social rejection and creating constructive representations of PLWA. Thus, the core foundation of my artworks.

And how did you get into art in the first place?

As an individual with Albinism, vision impairment is a key feature. Due to this I struggled watching television with the rest of my family and domestic staff members. This hurt me greatly as the act of watching television was a household ritual especially after a long day’s work. One day after much commotion because I was standing too close to the television and my sister couldn’t see, my mother
handed me a piece of white typek printing paper and a pen, and she advised me to draw. And so, I did! I started drawing Pokémon characters especially Ash and Pikachu, Bratz dolls and occasionally portraits of mother.

When I started attending school, I was bullied greatly based on the fact that I have Albinism. Even though I had friends, they would go home early when each school day ended, and I would be left in aftercare for about two to three hours waiting for my mother to fetch me afterwork. That is when I felt the discrimination the most, as a result I was isolated. I turned to drawing as a method of coping, the school centre provided paper and crayons for children and I used that to my advantage. Years later in high school I started learning more about art and what techniques were available. I later graduated high school and enrolled into university and studied Fine art.

You go by the term “visual activist”. What does that imply for you (compared to a “classic artist”)?

I think it is important to clarify what a visual activist/activism is. It is social justice represented in visual mediums, that being drawing, painting and/or photography etc, with the strategic planning of activism necessary to bring about social change. Classical art is known to depict scenes and tell stories, stories often cantered around mythology and religion. Unlike artistic activism, classical art tends not to have such a clear target. Whereas the aim of artistic activism is action to create an effect, change.

You create self-portraits. Has there ever been a moment when you felt shy about that or was it
natural for you from the start?

Oh, no, I was not shy at all. My portraits-reference that I take always have a variety of hues from yellows, purples and greens on my skin. So I am more excited about the end result of each portrait. I won’t lie, sometimes I do get a bit nervous about each artwork but it is always related to the principles of art such as proportion, balance and contrast. I always ask myself and sometimes surrounding company, does the reference and the artwork lookalike? You could say I have a hint of perfectionism , hahaha.

Please tell us a bit more about your most recent drawing series “Displacement in Community: the colour series”

Created over a period of five weeks, at an artist residency in Muizenberg, Cape Town, South Africa. The theme we, as resident artists, explored focused on “displacement in community”. In creating a body of artworks each artist had to consider the following questions. What does the theme mean to
you? How do you relate? To me, the term related to Albinism opens multiple streams of discourses such as colourism, race and gender dynamics. For my resident body of artworks, I explored the notion of colourism related to Albinism, thus the inspiration behind my body of artwork’s subheading: The Colour Series. In making my body of artworks, I have taken a stand to create rational and constructive imagery that tackles discourses related to Albinism. In regard to colourism – I create artworks that celebrate the uniqueness of black communities of South Africa. As a PLWA my skin does not primarily give off my blackness, as a result, my blackness is questioned. Instead of critiquing or ostracizing this facet of my identity, I would like to celebrate my blackness.

In making my artworks I use colour pencils on Fabriano paper. I am inspired by a South Korean visual artist who works with hands and the “floating face” as seen in my previous body of artworks Reimagining Albus. Park’s works are based on her theory of psychological duality, where two monsters – one that lives inside her and one that lives outside – are constantly at odds with one another. In using hands as a symbol, I refer to sign language to emphasise my desired messages. Whilst varying the colour of the background of each artwork. The choice of background colours comes from primary colours surrounding yellow (this being, blue and red), the additional colours orange and green are from mixing yellow with the remaining primary colours.

Now, a more practice-related question: could you share with us your creative process, from an idea to a finished piece?

Owing to my educational background and being an activist for issues related to Albinism, most of my artworks are responses to themes about Albinism for instance colourism, sexual violence, and discrimination. Therefore, my work inspiration or ideas are from current affairs about Albinism, from the, I normally do a lot of research on the appropriate and constructive iconography, also known as symbolism. My use of colour and execution of composition is mostly inspired by artists I have seen online (and it is definitely not an overnight process), and I get on the paper and work until I am satisfied.

With you work, you aspire to deepen the understanding of Albinism in South Africa. Could you please talk a bit about the power of art as a tool for (positive) change (from your own perspective/ work)?

I have always believed that images provide powerful visual tools that facilitate learning, and as research notes a person remembers things 65% better when they are attached to images. One has to also consider that art has the power to move individuals to social action, manipulate, entertain, influence and educate. The representation of PLWA in popular media for the longest time has been discriminatory and misleading, this is very worrying when we consider the above-mentioned text. As a result, a mass amount of people have a rooted belief that PLWA are weird, a curse and a wealth spell when considering the killing PLWA in some African countries. In creating my bodies of artworks, I aim to dispel the long standing irrational and discriminatory representation of PLWA. I maintain this by creating artworks that depict constructive and rational images of PLWA.

Is there any series you’re currently working on, any upcoming project that you’d like to mention?

At the moment, I am on a break. I’ll start producing new work in late January or early February. I currently have a group exhibition I am part of running from the 26th of November 2022 till the 14th of January 2023 at Berman Contemporary, Johannesburg, South Africa. After that I will be showcasing my work at the Investec Cape Town Art Fair, commencing from the 17-19 February 2023.

Any emerging artists you’d like to recommend?

Yes, I do! Lwando Hlazo and Odette Graskie.

And last question: what are your hopes for the future?

I would love to obtain my PhD in Fine Art. Showcase my works globally – pushing the narrative as PLWA are not only discriminated in Africa alone. Part-take in international residencies and group shows. I would love to write a few academic journals and release books as well.