The National Arts Festival (NAF) 2023 was a full-circle moment for multifaceted artist Asanda Lusaseni Mvana, best known as Msaki, who won the Standard Young Artist Award winner for Music in last year.
And part of her winning prize was to debut a new work at this year's National Arts Festival in Makhanda.
Having obtained her degree in fine arts at Rhodes University, it came as no surprise for Msaki to showcase not only her vocal prowess but her virtual art skills as well.
Her exhibition, titled “Del'ukufa” (Dare to Die), delves into themes of violence, healing and identity.
Msaki says her aim is to stir conversation and “provoke contemplation” on these interconnected narratives.
Her art installations include elements such as animal skulls, sand, crosses, a healing drum, candles, imphepho (sage) and amabhayi (traditional healer's cloths).
“I'm just trying to activate the imagination chamber about how the macro story of violence of South Africa and more specifically Makhanda can intersect with a personal story of healing,” said Msaki.
“And also what about the macro story of healing intersecting with a personal story of violence?”
She added: “All of my painful memories come from the city, but all of my joyful expression and understanding of myself as an artist and growing in layers happened here, too.”
Makhanda, a place where Msaki grew up, holds both painful memories and moments of joy and artistic growth for her.
She recalls being sent to boarding school by her parents at a young age.
“I came here at six years old. I was dropped off at boarding school. My parents were doing that sacrificially out of love, trying to give me a better future.
“And I've reaped the rewards of some of those sacrifices.”
The exhibition serves as a platform for Msaki to reflect on the painful moments and “ruptures of misunderstanding” and identity loss, ultimately aiming to inspire others to find healing - and embrace their authentic selves amidst the complexities of South Africa's history and ongoing transformation.
“This is also a place where my identity was in crisis because you get into these spaces and the schools are cunning and thorough in how they want you to be assimilated and whitewashed so that you can be the perfect school child that fits into this narrative.
“The sonic in the art is the time-travelling device to go back and to go back to those moments of pain and to bring back healing.
“This (exhibition) is an attempt to search for healing, but it's also asking questions about violence.”
“In this exhibition, you don't know whether you're seeing the ancestors or you've seen the clergy and these are all questions that we need to ask ourselves about these spaces.
“I've installed Makana skop (skull) (the Xhosa prophet and leader, also known as Makana). What does that mean? And it's not really for me to prescribe meaning, it's to ask questions and to leave the space for people to intersect with it in their own personal story, in their own understanding of their own identity and the questions that they've had about how they fit into the great South African story as well.
“I don't have ownership of what each of these symbols means. A skull in Marikana meant the sign of a traitor. A skull could also be what happened to the cattle that the settlers shot? The skull can mean a lot of things.”
Msaki's work invites viewers to address these narratives, reflect on their own stories, and seek healing and reconciliation within themselves and their broader communities.
Msaki alluded to halting her public appearance as she enters a period of “reflection”. She will, however, continue with her quest to empower young people.
During the festival, she hosted a series of Quantum Creativity Workshops in partnership with the Black Power Station. This included an indigenous instrument making workshop facilitated by KHNYSA.
“My grandfather was a choral composer, so choirs have a special place in my heart. I think I might do a lot of work with choirs in the future. And it's also a really nice way to deal with big groups of young people.
“The highlight of my festival has been with working with the Kwantu choir. We've been spending a lot of time with them in between shows and really just wanted to keep imparting with that group. They are such a special group of young people and I want to come back (to Makhanda) and do more work with them.”
Msaki also held a discussion about the legacy of traditional music legend Madosini, as well as a creativity workshop, where young people were taught how to create “uhadi” (a musical bow).
“This is to say thank you to uGogo Madosini. She really did make a mark, not just with her musicianship and her artistry, but with her compassionate spirit. She was warm. She was generous. She was just like a mother to all of us and she really changed a lot of lives.”
Msaki plans to take “Del'ukufa” on a national tour later in the year.