{"id":42275,"date":"2024-12-13T07:25:34","date_gmt":"2024-12-13T05:25:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/eikestadnuus\/artistry-and-creativity-lead-to-the-highest-honours-20241211\/"},"modified":"2025-03-20T07:46:15","modified_gmt":"2025-03-20T05:46:15","slug":"artistry-and-creativity-lead-to-the-highest-honours-20241211","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/eikestadnuus\/artistry-and-creativity-lead-to-the-highest-honours-20241211\/","title":{"rendered":"Artistry and creativity lead to the highest honours"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Dr Bongani Tendai Percy Mashange donned his doctoral gown on Monday (9 December) to become the first visual-arts student at Stellenbosch University (SU) to have his master\u2019s dissertation upgraded to a PhD. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Excelling academically as well as artistically, the creative scholar\u2019s contributions are bound to resonate beyond the walls of academia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a unique perspective shaped by his Zimbabwean heritage, global influence and a profound understanding of cultural dynamics, Mashange\u2019s striking abstract jewellery designs and groundbreaking research challenge conventions and invite discourse on identity and representation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Born into a family that value education and artistic expression, Mashange is the second of three siblings to receive a PhD. Growing up in Zimbabwe, he attended Falcon College, a private boarding school where his aptitude for the arts flourished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Completing high school at the top of his class, Mashange\u2019s father encouraged him to pursue a path that would allow his creativity to develop. He considered different international and local university options, but chose SU because of the Department of Visual Arts\u2019 strong focus on jewellery design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cComing to Stellenbosch was a bit of a culture shock,\u201d Mashange admits. \u201cInitially, I felt dislocated from the world, but I adjusted fast. I stayed at the Helderberg residence and it was the best experience of my life.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The campus became a place of growth and connection as he navigated challenges related to race and identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Complexity of African identity<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being seen as a foreigner in South Africa intrigued Mashange and informed his exploration of African identity. \u201cMy mother is Ndebele and my father Shona, but because I don\u2019t sound South African to some locals I\u2019m treated differently,\u201d he explains. \u201cIn Zimbabwe I wasn\u2019t considered Shona enough. In South Africa I\u2019m sometimes seen as not black enough.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These categorisations are exhausting, but they also push you to redefine yourself, Mashange remarked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grappling with the rich tapestry of his own identity inspired him to explore the complexity of African identity, and for his research he delved into how art objects and jewellery serve as both personal and collective narratives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In African culture jewellery transcends mere accessory status; it is a profound expression of identity, heritage, tradition and social status, intertwining tradition and modernity, Mashange points out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI looked at my heritage, the places I\u2019ve been, my own culture and background in terms of spirituality as well as my own ethnic rites of passage. I then translated all these ideas into visual objects that communicate a modern Africa aesthetic. I also explored this concept visually through the materials and techniques that I use. I wanted to steer away from the traditional way of making jewellery.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He described his art as being rooted in an Afropolitan quest. The word Afropolitan is a blend of \u201cAfrican\u201d and \u201ccosmopolitan\u201d, Mashange explained. For him it\u2019s more than a buzzword or an elitist label; it\u2019s a way to articulate the complexity of being African in the 21st century. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Afropolitanism is about embracing modernity without being confined by outdated labels, Mashange explained. It\u2019s a rejection of essentialisms and a celebration of fluid, evolving identities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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One of Dr Bongani Mashange\u2019s jewellery pieces. <\/div>\n
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One of Dr Bongani Mashange\u2019s jewellery pieces. <\/div>\n
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One of Dr Bongani Mashange\u2019s jewellery pieces. <\/div>\n
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One of Dr Bongani Mashange\u2019s jewellery pieces. <\/div>\n
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One of Dr Bongani Mashange\u2019s jewellery pieces. <\/div>\n
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Transforming wearable art<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His PhD combined theoretical exploration with practical artistry, and his dissertation delved into identity, post-colonial Africa and decoloniality, themes deeply tied to his own experiences. This approach allowed him to interrogate broader narratives surrounding African representation in contemporary art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mashange\u2019s beautiful creations reflect his theoretical approach. His jewellery and sculptures blend traditional materials like wood and metal with modern techniques, creating objects that are at once rooted in heritage and strikingly contemporary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The names of his jewellery pieces hint at spiritual concepts with cultural significance such as iThemba (hope), Sithembile (we trust), Simangaliso (miracle), Shavi (a wandering spirit), Murapi (healer) and Ukuqala kwenkululeko (the beginning of freedom).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Mashange the value of jewellery transcends its material worth. By transforming wearable art into sculptures that provoke thought beyond adornment, he invites viewers to engage with deeper meanings tied to culture and identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI use materials loaded with historical significance and reinterpret them,\u201d he pointed out. \u201cAfrican print fabrics, for example, originated in Indonesia and were commercialised by Europeans who exported it to Africa, but we\u2019ve altered and reclaimed them as symbols of pride. My work is about that kind of agency. I aim to visually articulate and celebrate the nuanced realities of contemporary African identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPeople often depict national identity as a closed system with rigid boundaries, which oversimplifies the true complexity of identity. As identities become increasingly entangled in contemporary Africa, I strive to reclaim an authentic, positive and affirming concept of identity to guide my art making.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although his creations are classified as art jewellery, it often resembles non-functional sculpture, prioritising aesthetics over representational or narrative elements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn essence, my work is about belonging,\u201d Mashange stressed. \u201cThe aesthetic I\u2019ve constructed allows me to belong in different spheres. African identity is not fixed. It\u2019s shifting and changing. We don\u2019t have to stay loyal to the cultures we\u2019ve been socialised in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unwavering support<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His academic journey was not without its hurdles. Working on his master\u2019s thesis during the Covid-19 pandemic was challenging, but it had an unexpected outcome in 2021. \u201cI did so much research my theory supervisor Prof Lize van Robbroeck told me, \u2018You\u2019ve written too much, but it\u2019s all valuable.\u2019 She and Carine Terreblanche (my practical supervisor) suggested it should be upgraded to a PhD.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mashange was completely overwhelmed when he realised his research was good enough for him to become Dr Mashange.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He credited his family and lecturers for their unwavering support. \u201cI think my academic success is due to a very good support system, starting with my family \u2013 my mom, my dad, my aunt and uncle as well as my siblings. My lecturers were extremely supportive. They were there for me all the way \u2013 emotionally and financially. It really was a team effort.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The future he is taking one step at a time. \u201cI don\u2019t have immediate plans,\u201d Mashange said with a laugh. \u201cRight now I just want to go home, sleep and celebrate my graduation with my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the long term he envisions continuing his exploration of Afropolitan aesthetics, possibly starting a jewellery brand or returning to academia. \u201cPeople ask me whether I\u2019m an academic, artist or a jeweller. I honestly don\u2019t like labels. I see myself as a contemporary art jeweller and an academic, but I\u2019m still figuring it out.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dr Bongani Tendai Percy Mashange donned his doctoral gown on Monday (9 December) to become the first visual-arts student at Stellenbosch University (SU) to have his master\u2019s dissertation upgraded to a 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