Image: Define Beauty III by Lunga Ntila
“I always thought I would get over distorting my face, but the more I do it the more I expand on my understanding of self.”
Lunga Ntila is an emerging fine artist and photographer from South Africa who uses experimental self portraits to explore themes of identity and its deconstruction. In a conversation with POSTSCRIPT, she considers artistic inspiration and introspection before her work is published in Issue 4, The Reverie Issue.
Tell us a bit about yourself and your background.
I am based in Pretoria, South Africa. I grew up in different parts of the world. My brief introduction to branding and advertising is what allowed me to delve deeper into the different ways in which I could articulate myself through creativity.
You have experience in photography, sculpture and larger installations. Why did you choose these mediums? Which is your favourite to work with and why?
Photography is a faster way to immediately translate an idea. I love the access it gives me to my imagination. I've always been fascinated by mirrors, so when I began to make mirror installations it was just my way of giving my audience their individual experience of what they see in my distorted self portrait.
Father Stretch My Hands by Lunga Ntila
What is the inspiration behind your experimental self portraits?
Just vibing out sis.
You often make use of the layering of fragments of images. What do these stylistic choices represent?
It is an exploration of multiplicity. This series explores and casts light on the seemingly “mundane and ordinary”.
While the world is in turmoil, do you think your art has acted as a form of escapism from reality? Or do you see your work as more introspective?
My work has never acted as a form of escapism. It's more of an inward search and just an interpretation of my reality.
Honesty by Lunga Ntila
What larger themes do you hope your audience takes away from your work?
I hope they just realise that they can be multiple. They don't have to see themselves as one thing all the time. They can always expand on their understanding of self and the world.
You explain that your art is a “personal process in understanding emotions within [yourself]”. What have you learned about your emotions thus far?
I always thought I would get over distorting my face, but the more I do it the more I expand on my understanding of self. I am deliberately creating different versions of myself—my subconscious interprets that as "I am abundant". I am seeing that I am a God-like being.
As a South African woman and successful visual artist, what has your art taught you about your own identity and experience?
It has taught me to explore more. It gave me an opportunity to do research where I come from as a Xhosa woman. It has also taught me that I can do anything!
See more of Lunga’s work in Issue 4, The Reverie Issue.
Purchase a copy here.