Somewhere in the bustling streets of Johannesburg, lives an artist whose work is nothing short of magical. Buqaqawuli Nobakada is a master of her craft, and her primary medium is unlike any other – acrylic paint on laced paper.
We stumbled upon her profile through Africa’s global platform for art, Latitudes online and we decided to peak into her life’s work.
Buqaqawuli Nobakada (b. 2000) is an emerging contemporary mixed media artist born in the Western Cape and raised between Phililipi and a remote village in Lady Frere, Eastern Cape. Nobakada was first introduced to Fine Art in Johannesburg in the beginning of her adolescence. Her primary medium is acrylic paint on laced paper, often with the use of custom clay or gold jewellery; wherein much of the passion in her work is expressed as she celebrates border crossings that take place in the imagination, the mind as well as in real life. Buqaqawuli Nobakada is currently in her 3rd year of Fine Arts at the University of the Witwatersrand and is partaking in the “I Am & Nothing Else,” group exhibition with Affinity art gallery in Lagos, Nigeria. She has also exhibited in the “Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt” Open City group exhibition by FNB Art Joburg and the SOMA exhibition in France.” – Latitudes
Looking at her profile, we are convinced that Buqaqawuli’s artistic process is a dance of creativity and intuition. She has a way of letting the patterns of the lace guide her brushstrokes, allowing the texture of the fabric to interact with the colors and give life to her imagination.
Her paintings are a symphony of colors and textures, a fusion of the intricate lace patterns and the vivid acrylic paint.
Buqaqawuli’s art is not just a visual feast, but a celebration of the human spirit and the power of creativity. Her work inspires us to think outside the box, to embrace unconventional mediums, and to unleash their own unique expressions.
