BIOGRAPHY

Throughout his work, Seakamela expresses his thoughts by creating mixed media charcoal drawings and paintings. Investigating the notion of blackness and black skin, Seakamela renders almost unidentifiable portraits in dark charcoal tones and highlights facial features such as the mouth with a poignant red hue. The body of work questions concepts of blackness in a globalised sense, as Seakamela places them in sensitive positions with a contrasting background often comprising of wild flowers. Like the natural state of flowers, Seakamela encourages for a review of blackness from the previous scientific and racist lens, from its burden as a signifier of violence, strife and struggle and re positions it as natural, tender, representative of love and boldness.  

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His other series which was created in 2020 during the COVID – 19 pandemic under the lockdown in South Africa was created in the artist’s room. The works made of oil on window glass show the outside world which we were not allowed to access unless for necessities like groceries or if one was a health worker. During that time in South Africa and abroad, a lot of uncertainties ruled the status quo as nothing was certain, jobs were being lost, hawkers couldn’t sell any products and therefore their daily meals and those of their families were also threatened and uncertain. Police harassment was widespread and one didn’t know who to be afraid of, the criminals or men in uniform. And the biggest uncertainty of all was one’s own survival. Would we be able to survive the pandemic as the numbers of infections and deaths kept on rising, Were we ever going to be able to see our family members again? (Those that were far from us). Would things ever go back to normal? What would life be like after the pandemic? All aspects of one’s life were questioned, health, safety, sustainability and recreation.

Seakamela started painting bodies, figures on glass, the figures are painted in such a way as if they were moving upward, transcending to the unknown. The works capture the sombre feel of that moment in time where one questioned life and death and what happens after death. Representative of souls leaving this plane to another unknown phase of life, the works displayed what could not be seen with the naked eye, but a conception everyone knew was happening, death was at his peak and he was showing off. Without the consideration of facial features or relative detailing, the figures could be anyone, a family member, a friend, mother, child, colleague, neighbour, we were all at risk, none of us were exempt from the daunting unknown. The glass window not only served as a view of the outside but also served as a shield from the outside that was virus ridden and had a melancholic stench of death. Included in the series were more tangible works made of charcoal on paper and oil on canvas, the works in similar style and methodology give the same feeling of absence and presence, questioning permanence, longevity, and temporality of life as we knew it.