Siphiwe Mnguni
“My work explores the different pressures, dualities and experiences of joy that come from being a black female living in the UK”
Emerging artist Siphiwe Mnguni tells Katherine Oliver how her dual heritage has informed her practice, what inspires her day-to-day, and her aspirations for the future.
(KO) Can you summarise your practice in one sentence?
(SM) I explore the stereotypes, troupes, complexities and stories attached to the black female figure through oil pastel drawings, collage and photography.
Siphiwe Mnguni, ‘ A Sudden Tug (004), 2022, oil pastel and collage on paper, 38.5 x 29.5cm.
(KO) Tell us about how your heritage as a British Zimbabwean has informed your work.
(SM) My mother immigrated from Zimbabwe in the 80's and started up her own fashion business with my aunt. She had to juggle the different pressures placed on her by being a black working mother while also navigating a city fresh off the heat of the Brixton riots. My work explores those different pressures, dualities and experiences of joy that come from being a black female living in the UK.
My dual cultural heritage has influenced my work as it has given me a sense of harmony - and sometimes conflict.
Siphiwe Mnguni, 2022, photo by Javvi Luu.
(KO) Tell us about your working process and why you like oil pastels and collage.
(SM) I take photos of myself in weird positions, draw my reflection in the mirror, or ask friends to sit for me on FaceTime. I sketch rigorously in sketchbooks or smaller pieces of paper and take those ideas with me into larger works. I love working with oil pastels particularly because they are very immediate. My work is very intuitive - with oil pastels you get an immediate burst of colour and they’re very versatile. Collage is very tactile and very playful; it takes me back to my childhood.
Siphiwe Mnguni, ‘A Sudden Tug’ (005), oil pastel and collage on paper, 38.5 x 29cm.
(KO) How did your studies in fashion and textiles lead you to the works you are making on paper?
(SM) I came away from university a little confused. I was making screen prints that felt flat and disconnected to me as I didn't have the language to bridge my worlds of textiles and art together. During the pandemic, everything I thought I needed to be ‘an artist’ was taken away so I was forced to get to the core of me, which is drawing. Mark-making and collage were always the starting ground for my textile prints but now, they have become the focal points for my work.
Siphiwe Mnguni, 2022, photo by Javvi Luu.
(KO) What cultural influences provide inspiration for you day-to-day?
(SM) Being able to be back outside since the pandemic has recharged my creativity as I've been able to visit shows, chat with my creative bubble of friends and bounce off ideas with them. The last show I walked away buzzed from was seeing Rachel Jones 'Cheeeeese' at Chisenhale Gallery. That was spectacular!
(KO) Your artistic career is really just getting off the ground. What are your aspirations for the future?
(SM) My central ambition is for everyone to experience the joys of art. No matter your cultural background or what environment you were born into. I grew up on a tower block so I'd love to see my art transition into a sculptural, architectural discipline in a public environment. It's important for me to bring art to those who wouldn't normally interact with it.
Browse Siphiwe’s works in our online shop
Listen to Siphiwe’s Spotify summer playlist which celebrates contemporary music from the African diaspora.
