Nukwase Tembo Yosa

Description

Nukwase is a Zambian artist from the capital city of Lusaka, who’s artistic journey began at the age of 2.  Her town is widely recognized for its beautiful landscapes and breathtaking waterfalls – like Mosi-oa-Tunya (popularly known as the Victoria falls) and the UNESCO world heritage site Mosi-oa-Tunya National park which is one of the most popular in the world.

With a background in social work, she looked to take her professional experience to the next level.  She joined the media industry to help shine more light on issues that mattered to her and the communities she supported. To further her advocacy and craft, she earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Fine Arts and began working with Foundations that supported the arts and community initiatives.

Nukwase’s work investigates the marginalization of women and people of color while exploring gender and racial stereotypes in post-colonial Zambia and the role that cultural identity plays in the narratives of women.  She continuously participates in local and international workshops and exhibits.  As a full-time artist she believes it’s the artist’s responsibility to attempt to aid the world in seeing things differently. Regardless of perspective or point-of-view, the goal is to make the world a better place by sparking change or a revolution.   Her body of work is manifested in two dimensional artworks (painting, drawing and collage) and sculptural Installations.

In her own words: “My body of work explores and challenges toxic societal norms that infringe upon the rights and values of black women. This is in the context of a post-colonial era where borrowed and foreign ideals have become the accepted norm and where culture (which is supposed to be fluid, dynamic and subject to evolution), is treated as an inflexible standard. I look to normalize blackness by trying to establish what it really means to be black without disregarding the complexities that come with it. Moreover, I focus on de-objectifying women’s bodies where socially and/or culturally our realities are shape-shifted to the point our bodies are not our own.  Simply put, through my work I’m just holding up a mirror to allow people to have a glimpse of what it means to be marginalized in a society that has no desire to attain social equilibrium.”