From the Ground to the Skies
by
Wonke "Abucus" Lepheana
28 July 2023
Wonke "Abucus" Lepheana, born 1993 in South Africa, currently based in Pretoria. A visual artist by practice but a multi-versed creative. From using painting as a tool to investigate, music as a form of communication, photography as a first love and short films as a form of moving expansion of thoughts.
"I already cannot warp or change a person's conception of the world and what influences it, let alone to invite them into seeing an art piece I have created and hope they understand or don't understand. More than anything it's an open invitation into a conversation with the gods, a dance with imagination."
- Abucus. An excerpt from an opinion piece the artist wrote titled "you can't decorate with my soul."
From starting school Ha-Mashata, a small village in the Eastern Cape, hidden in the belly of mountains, to going to high school in Thohoyandou, Block G, Venda, the artist's idea of home has always been constantly refigured, and so has his practice.
"When I started painting, it came as almost as a shedding of all the I had seen and continue to see. You can say it's a nomadic's exploration of the self, free from time and place constraints. An ongoing story, a journey into the past, the now and the future."
- Abucus
As a trained professional journalist of 10 years + practising as a visual artist, Abucus at the core deals with things that give us a common ground on our coexistence, what connects us, assessing, investigating and more, especially celebrating.
An ongoing story.
Abucus has participated in group exhibitions at FADA Gallery, University of Johannesburg, Bubblegum Gallery and PNK N IVY, Johannesburg, and had two solo exhibitions at PMC Gallery, Thohoyandou.
His music projects are Uncuss - Pinkmoon EP, 2015, SadStill Records - Melancholy EP, 2016 and SadStill Records - Solitude EP, 2017.
"The Skies Carry Us" series
Throughout history, human beings have constructed various frameworks, such as classism and race, to define and differentiate ourselves from one another. These frameworks have imposed visual contexts on our lives, influencing how we perceive and interact with the world around us.
"The Skies Carry Us" aims to wash away these imposed visual contexts and present humanity against the backdrop of clouds and blue skies. Whether we find ourselves in war-torn Sudan or in the peaceful seclusion of a suburban neighbourhood, the clouds remain unaffected by our individual realities. They are shaped solely by the forces of nature.
By intentionally superimposing the artwork on cloud backgrounds, I seek to delve deeper into the exploration and introspection of elements that unite us and create common ground. This process allows me to discover shared experiences and find connections that transcend the artificial boundaries we have constructed.
"Ibomvu" series
Ibomvu, ochre/ochros which means yellowish in Greek.
Ochre or Ibomvu is a natural clay earth pigment that ranges in colour from yellow to
deep orange or brown.
From the Americas to Kwa-Nongoma, ochre, or Ibomvu, has played a vital role both in mythical rituals, such as initiates returning home in Ba-Sotho culture, and in practical ways, like sun protection while tending to livestock, collecting firewood, or farming.
"In this project, I utilize the diverse tones of ochre derived from the regions I have called home as a framework. It serves as a common ground to explore, challenge, and celebrate our shared human experiences and emotions."
This project represents a continuation of the artist's exploration, driven by the constant quest to discover elements that unite us beyond earthly contexts.
As the project unfolded and took shape, another topic emerged for discussion: Geophagia.
"Me and my siblings used to go hunting or searching for Letsopa, a white clay like earth in our grandmother's village Ha-Mashata. Looking back, different tones of clay offered distinct flavours, our aunts and mothers would ask us to bring them back some too. It always felt like we were going hunting. So for me Geophagia slowly became more than consumption, it was a ritual with my sisters and brothers, almost a conversation with our ancestral ground."
Also known as Geophagy, it is the international practice of eating earth or soil-like substances such as, clay, chalk or termite mounds.
Abucus firmly believes that his art pieces are not solely his creation but rather a conversation with the divine. This collection represents a profound disclosure of those conversations. Smeared ngo Bomvu olubovu, from the ground to the seas.
Ultimately, we are the ochre people, as Mme Noni Jabavu eloquently described in her book.
Wonke 'Abucus' Lepheana
"ukukhipha isinyama"
Isinyama def ; bad luck or a dark cloud.
So the practice or ritual of Ukukhipha Isinyama is a process of cleansing. This tradition can be found in different black cultures within the South African context, or even broader into the diaspora as a whole.
As a people we know the powers water holds for us, all the stories of our ancestors haven't fully washed ashore the sea as yet. We hear them in the waves, we see them in the streams.
Acrylic on unstretched canvas
73cm x 100cm
Unframed
R 15 000
Click here for purchase enquiry
Wonke 'Abucus' Lepheana
"We All Win"
As a global black collective or community, we collectively mourn our losses and celebrate our victories. From this perspective, our individual pursuits become a revolution for all. When you see me, you don't just see me; you see us, our ancestral lines, and the essence of blackness.
Acrylic on Fabriano paper
73cm x 100cm
Unframed
R 15 000
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Wonke 'Abucus' Lepheana
"mukela moya wam"
Def ; mukela - accept ; Moya - spirit ; wam - mine
When I look up I wish I could see your face my friend, tell me its ok, tell me it will be ok.
Acceptance is a process of breaking, burning and rebuilding. With this piece I hope to celebrate my best friend Claude, whom I lost when we were 16yrs old one cold winter.
Acrylic on Fabriano paper
73cm x 100cm
Unframed
R 15 000
Click here for purchase enquiry
Wonke 'Abucus' Lepheana
"Tax Free Lies"
An art critic once remarked, "I don't like work that tells me what it is before I confront it." This piece delves into the concept of tax-free lies, exploring the deceptive narratives propagated by governments and idealistic systems. It reflects the taxing burden of being sold false hope.
Acrylic on unstretched canvas
73cm x 100cm
Unframed
R 15 000
Click here for purchase enquiry
Wonke 'Abucus' Lepheana
"maikutlo a rona"
def ; our emotions
We've masked our emotions to a point of no return, brother, we've lost ourselves in the act.
The reference photo to this piece was a screenshot I secretively took of my brother during one of our random video calls. He had just asked me how I was, and I seamlessly, as I do so well, shifted focus to why he was wearing a balaclava on a Sunday. I want to feel everything, I am no island even though my solitude serves as a soothing saxophone.
Acrylic on unstretched canvas
73cm x 100cm
Unframed
R 15 000
Click here for purchase enquiry
Wonke 'Abucus' Lepheana
"grateful"
Grateful to the women warriors, humbled by their prayers, carried by their strength and hope. Raised by their love, and empowered by their femininity. Sithi sibonge bo'Mama
Acrylic on fabriano paper
73cm x 100cm
Unframed
R 15 000
Click here for purchase enquiry
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enjoyed
the work!
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