Life is an illusion and Chikomberero is the illustrator
- Nehru Figaroa
- Jan 21, 2023
- 4 min read
There's a diaspora of young black creatives who are creating work which transcends beyond social media clout and influencer gatherings. Artists who are more obsessed with the idea of telling a story that disrupts the norm and fear being cliche like it's a disgraced-illness. One such person is Tshegofatso Mamabolo AKA Chikomberero, a self-described visual designer who is bringing an unconventional twist to kitsch illustrations and digital art.
I managed to catch up with her and delve deeper into what inspires her work and get to know the person behind the art.
Chikomberero is a very memorable name, is there a story behind it?
There were 3 Tshegofatso's at church (which is my birth name) and when one for the youth members started calling my name in Shona to differentiate me from the ours.
Tell us a bit about what it is you do and why you consider it as an art-form?
A call myself a visual designer because I am a mesh of a graphic designer & visual artist. I am able to create commercial designs and content that can work with the objective to influence specific audience whether it be a flyer, animation, infographic or illustration, my goal is to produce visuals that tell a story, represent an idea or evoke emotion.
What do you want to achieve with the work you’re doing?
Honestly all I'm trying to do is bring my imagination to the forefront, I want my art to reflect a society which is kinda whimsical and surreal with hints of blackness, body positivity and excellence to some extent.
Do you think art has to tell a concise story or just evoke imagination?
I'm one of those people who totally agree with Picasso when he said "Everything you can imagine is real" and that art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable. Life & art imitates each other, that just happens to leave a lot of juxtapositions in different spaces in my opinion.
Illustrations are recently becoming very prominent in the creative industry, what do you think is the reason for the sudden emergence?
The emergence of technology is a big reason why you see more and more illustrators being included in the different industries. The use of social media has expanded how we consume different services and products and the creative industry is creating different visual languages, communities and personalities to help promote & develop our industries. I don't think its a sudden emergence it has always been part of the South African creative landscape. Think of Drum Magazine back in the 50's, they used illustration in their covers and Zapiro in the early 2000s didn't have Instagram as a platform back then and the art & storytelling were consumed by a select few. Now with the internet I am able to explore different styles, techniques and tools as a creative.
What inspires your work?
Inspired by a lot by art movements from the 20th century, surrealism, non-fiction books, music, and black excellence in different spaces & industries.
At the moment I'm obsessed with album artworks from the years 2016 to 2020. I'm currently drawing inspiration from artists that either drew or photographed albums I consider to be classics to my ears. Someone like Nikko Washingtion who illustrated Nonames iconic ep Telephone or Jesse Kanda who is the artist behind FKA Twigs debut album Lp breathe so much inspiration into my creative process.
What would you change about your current industry if you could?
There is a lot I would change but I don't think I could change much because we in South Africa bruh and so many dodgy moves have been normalised so its tricky. But also the internet changes how I see the creative industry as a whole because of NFTs, TikTok and AI. Things are moving and the creative industry has now morphed into business of art which is literally open for anyone that is fearless and consistent.
What is your definition of a creative?
A creative is someone who is imaginative in their thinking process.It may come across as a writer or lawyer or fine artist but their thinking process should evoke some sort need to create solutions, emotions, and stories.
You’ve previously mentioned to me that you’re new to this art medium, what projects were you doing before?
I'm not new new but I'm new because I didn't take illustration seriously before. I have worked as a graphic designer in different corporations and have done some cool things with very cool people during my time.
Do you believe in collaboration? If so, what do you look for in a potential collaborator? I'm BIG on collaboration , I look for intention, storytelling, community, skill development, and purpose. I always tell my friends that I was put on this earth to make something or someone, I just haven't gotten the chance to execute that mandate to my liking.
If you could choose a mentor or someone to help you navigate your course who would it be and why would they be your choice of guidance? Got a few.
1. Lakisha Kimberly Robinson aka Kilo KISH, because I love how she creates experiences around her albums and music from the art direction, writing, sound and creative cinematic production of an album.
2.Basetsana Kumalo, the tenacity that comes with being a girl from Soweto to a media mogul, mom, wife and friend.
3. Ronnie Fieg, founder of streetwear brand KITH.
4. Salehe Bembury my modern day Phil Knight and last but certainly not least, the late Virgil Abloh because of his personal design language as a multidisciplinary designer & connector .
Three descriptive words which you’d want to inscribe onto your obituary?
Interesting, interested and whimsical.
What are your plans for the remainder of the year for you and your work?
NFT's, merchandise and collaborations
Finish this sentence, Chikomberero is a?
Leblomo lako Botanical gardens.
For some reason I don't think this is going to be the last time we hear of this name, Illustration is fast becoming a constant feature in our everyday art consumption and for a quiet shy girl from the North West, Tshegofatso's talent screams from the f**ken rooftops. For more access to her work and enquiries about potential collaborations, follow her instagram account @Chikombs.
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