Artist Spotlight: George Mubanga
by Esnala Banda
It’s night time. Two rabbits hop around on the grass just outside the shelter that has now become an outdoor workshop.
Amidst the sounds of crickets and his favourite artist Koffee singing her rendition of Burna Boy’s Ye, 25 year old George tells the story of his art journey.
He fell in love with art at about aged 6, and received his first art supplies from his uncle when he was 12 years old.
“My dad died when I was just finishing Grade 7 and my uncle would visit us every two weeks or so. He asked me what he could get me to keep me busy during that period and I asked for art supplies.”
George was always interested in art even whilst he was in school but he never had a chance to be in an art class during his school years. Instead, he would practice his art in his free time at home and honed his talent.
“He told me I was talented and encouraged me to join the Visual Arts Council so that I could get my work out there. He’s the one that helped me see that I could make a living with my talent.”
He went on to sell his first painting and expresses that he’s been blessed by God to possess and be able to live off a talent that many people go to school to perfect.
In 2019, George was the youngest artist to be nominated for the Best Male Visual Artist at the Ngoma awards alongside Ngandwe Mwaba and Poto Kabwe.
He describes the nomination as validation of both his talent and dedication to his craft.
“I take my work seriously and have to be disciplined just the same way that anyone working an 8–5 job is. I can’t relax just because I’m talented.”
In the first installation of the Chena Artists in Residency program George explored his visual art as a painter and has joined this years program as a sculptor with the goal to create 12 sculptures, as well as other elements for at Nkwashi during the four month period.
He lauds the opportunity to have a bigger workspace at Nkwashi, and strewn around the shelter one can see various parts of sculptures awaiting completion. A head here, a limb there, and even a torso waiting to be turned into something amazing no doubt.
“Having a bigger workspace means I can work on multiple projects at a time, unlike my workshop at home. I currently paint from one side of my bedroom and have to work on a project at a time. You can see here I’m working on 3 projects, if I was at home I would have had to stack them up to create space to work.”
George will be working with a number of assistants, one of whom he handpicked to help him create the new art additions to Nkwashi. He loves the freedom presented by Chena Art Gallery for him to pick his assistant as this means that he can work with more confidence and also enjoy the chance to be mentored by someone he has been wanting to work with for so long.
“I’ll be working with an amazing artist and welder that I’ve been wanting to collaborate with for a long time and this opportunity is great for networking. We’ll get to learn from each other as we work together and that’s one of the best things about this program.”
