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Though art was not part of the curriculum when Simphiwe Mbunyuza reached high school, that did not stop the master’s graduate from chasing his dreams.
Mbunyuza (32), from the rural village of Butterworth in the Eastern Cape, recently obtained his Masters of Fine Art degree at the University of Oklahoma in the US.
He specialises in ceramics and shared that he constructs sculptural vessels that carry elements extracted from Xhosa cultural activities.
“When I got to high school I was somehow a bit lost because art was not part of the curriculum, but I was lucky that one of the teachers took me under her wings and gave me an opportunity to practise art. After I completed Grade 12 at Msobomvu High School, I took a gap year to reflect on what I really wanted to study. My grandmother advised me to go for art rather than law,” Mbunyuza said.
He said he then applied at Walter Sisulu University to study fine art and that was where he got exposed to different mediums and techniques.
“In 2017, I was the only South African chosen to go to Vallauris in France for a residency programme in ceramics. There were five of us from various countries and we were sharing the same studio and working together.
“One of them was professor Stuart Asprey from the University of Oklahoma. Based on the conversation I had with him, we ended up touching on academic things and I shared with him that I would really love to study abroad,” he said. He said Asprey asked him to apply for the university’s ceramic programme.
“It turned out my chat with Professor Asprey formed part of an interview for the Masters of Fine Art programme. Even after we left France, he kept pushing me to apply and I got accepted,” he said.
Mbunyuza said he paid for his travel costs and living, but the university gave him a scholarship that covered tuition. “I also worked as the university’s graduate assistant lecturer, which made things a lot easier for me,” he said.
Mbunyuza said he enjoys creating pieces of art and he gets inspiration from Xhosa culture, which then adds more drama in his work. — Sowetan.
Online Reporter