For Andrew Ntshabele, the daily lives of residents in Doornfontein, Johannesburg's Inner City, are his primary source of inspiration. Residents are literally dirt poor, crime is rampant, and most people have no chance of escaping. In his work, Andrew searches for answers to the question of why this situation isn't improving and the decline seems to be worsening.
Based on photos he takes with his phone, he paints people isolated from their backgrounds in a collage of newspaper clippings. The headlines and articles often relate to the image and/or offer social commentary, sometimes very clearly, sometimes more subtly. He also creates collages of (old) music sheets, postcards, books, and topographical maps as backgrounds for his powerful paintings.
Andrew: “My intention using newspapers and historical documents is for people to remember history and not forget where we have come from… as this will guide where we are going.”
Despite their sometimes hopeless position, he wants to use his paintings to emphasise the resilience and self-esteem of black South Africans and the hope for a better future for them.
