Multi-disciplinary Artist
Siyabonga Mtshali (1998) is a provocative young multi-disciplinary artist hailing from the coast of KwaZulu Natal, Richards Bay. His the founder and director of Siyababa Atelier is a conceptual fashion brand that pioneers in a new African avant-garde by marrying the two ideas of art and fashion. The young artist left his small town in 2017 to Johannesburg to receive his BA FASHION AND DESIGN in 2021. Siyabongas move to Johannesburg exposed him to queer community's that helped him find his new artist voice and alter ego now widely-known as Siyababa which translates directly to "We are hot". Mtshali's mission is to challenge the dominance of Western media and heteronormative spaces in defining nonbinary experiences, crafting a unique narrative for bisexual Zulu men, a representation he has personally found lacking. His work delves into the aesthetics of identity, power, and gender, aiming to subvert the status quo and provide a fresh perspective on the fashion industry and his own experiences for a younger version of himself.
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