Born in the 1980s, the early days of the now highly controversial Mugabe rule of Zimbabwe, Sindiso Nyoni is heavily influenced by the politics of his country. Jessica Manim retraces his roots, and uncovers a body of artwork that puts message first and aesthetics second.
Xenophobia Poster (2007)
Sindiso Nyoni’s creations strike their viewer in the gut, delivering a shockwave of reactions directly to the core. Immediately it’s clear there is more to this artist’s images than just pretty colours. First and foremost, they carry a message; a message more important than their aesthetic qualities.
Sindiso was born in the late 1980s, during the now much-publicised Matabeleland Massacres. The Massacres grew out of Zimbabwe’s deeply complex colonial past and liberation struggle. During the Rhodesian Bush War (1964-1979), the main liberation force was the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU), but in 1963 a more militant group split away, naming itself the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU). Despite their common origins, they grew apart as ZANU pursued its militant agenda while ZAPU renounced violence in the struggle for liberation. ZANU recruited members from the majority Shona population, while ZAPU recruited from the minority Ndebele regions. When Zimbabwe gained independence and ZANU member Robert Mugabe won the presidency, the deep mistrust between the parties could not be dissolved. In an early show of paranoia, ZANU suspected ZAPU of plotting a coup. At least, this was the Mugabe presidency’s justification for its brutal torture and slaying of 8000 people in the predominantly Ndebele region of Matabeleland between 1980 and 1988, events later named the Matabeleland Massacres.
Although Sindiso was too young to fully comprehend The Massacres, the scars on the population remained. As he grew up, it wasn’t long before he faced discrimination himself, based on his Ndebele heritage. This, and the worsening situation in Zimbabwe, fostered a strong political conscience in the young artist, seen in his anti-dictatorial ‘Free Zimbabwe’ posters. Due to his strong anti-ZANU PF sentiments, Sindiso soon left his native country in fear of reprisals for his vocal works. He relocated to Johannesburg where he completed a degree in Graphic Design at the University of Johannesburg, and then to Cape Town to intern at the renowned Am I Collective agency.
Despite the commercial demands of his profession, Sindiso feels a strong calling to work on social communication projects. “I feel it’s valuable for creatives to know that they have tools and the ability to effect massive change,” he explains, “which is why I do not use my skills to support brands that have a negative impact on the world.” Although Sindiso works in both traditional and digital mediums, he’s strongly aware that each serves a specific purpose in the process of communication. “The use of
traditional media reminds the viewer of the connection that exists between an artist and his subject or message,
4th Reich (2007)
he says. “This gives the work a raw, human quality, which is important in evoking emotion. On the other hand, digital media allows for your message to reach many more people, which is why my style is ultimately a combination of the two.”
Sindiso has been invited to participate in the International Biennial Poster exhibition, to be held in Mexico in 2010. This year’s theme is ’Voices in Freedom‘, a call to interrogate concepts of freedom, better life options and sustainable development. Sindiso’s poster will form part of a collection of activist-orientated posters from around the globe, sharing wallspace with the likes of Zimbabwean Chaz Maviyane-Davies, Israel’s Yossi Lemel and French artist, Alain Le Quernec. In many ways, these artists share Sindiso’s philosophy, represented through his moniker, Guerill(art) – a belief that a small, independent entity can go up against one much larger than itself, in true David and Goliath fashion. Concluding our discussion, Sindiso remarks,
As creatives, we have a duty to contribute to our communities using art that addresses social issues and advocates awareness and change.
In a time when it’s all too easy to copy-and-paste from other artists and create bland wannabe-art, there’s something in the simplicity of Sindiso’s work that is ineffably powerful. Long after your eyes have left them, the images remain throbbing on your retina.
4th Reich 2 (2007)
