Vortragsreihe Freie Kunst – Themba Shibase und Jess Bothma

Themba Shibase was born in 1980, in Port Shepstone, lower South Coast of KwaZulu Natal., South Africa. After completing his secondary education, he went on to pursue tertiary education in Durban where he enrolled into then Technikon Natal’s (now DUT) prestigious Fine Art Department where he majored in Painting. Upon completing his National Diploma, Shibase studied further, pursuing a Bachelor of Technology Degree, and later, a Master’s degree in Fine Art. Currently he is the acting HoD in the Department of Fine Art & JewelleryDesign where he has been lecturing in Painting, Drawing and Art Theory/History for over 15years. Currently he is pursuing PhD studies at the University of KwaZulu Natal. Shibase has also been an active professional artist since his first solo exhibition in 2004, titled Hybrid Culture. Over this period, he has had several solo exhibitions nationally and participated in innumerous curated group exhibitions nationally and several others internationally. His work is part of several notable local, national, and international private and public collections. Shibase also has long history of being actively involved in advocacy work in the arts. He has served in the executive bords of leading local, provincial and national art advocacy organizations including serving in the National Ministerial Task Team: Arts & Culture.

In a period spanning almost 20 years, Shibase artistic thematic interests have varied between discourse on cultural hybridity, in the earlier part of his career; and over recent years, discourse on Black Masculinities. His current work focuses on a slight shift from the latter. More recently, he is looking at contemporary notions of Black masculinities as observed in his immediate surroundings, including his friends’ social media platforms i.e. the manner in which they project their masculinities in such platforms. This project is still in its early phases and will ultimately result in a solo exhibition in the near future.

In this talk, I share my practice-based research into belonging, identity and dislocation in post-apartheid South Africa.
I reflect on how awkwardness, humour and uncertainty shape both my lived experience and my creative process.
Drawing on thinkers like Homi Bhabha and Sara Ahmed, and on the work of artists such as Berni Searle and Athi-Patra Ruga, I trace how my practice blends collage, sculpture, writing and archival fragments. I discuss works including Taxi Wisdom and Ophelia Doesn’t Have a Zulu Name, and how they helped me confront personal and historical complexity.
Ultimately, I’ve come to see humour and creativity as tools for surviving chaos and softening the edges of the world, while continuing to negotiate what belonging means.