#5: Luxolo Witvoet (NOIRBOiFLY)
Self-taught multi dimensional artist, Luxolo Witvoet, checks in to tell us about Makhafula Vilakazi, Jordans Way of Cooking, Lucky (2011), and more.
Luxolo Witvoet is a Cape Town based self-taught multi dimensional artist. His artistry comprises of photography, painting, stop-motion, video, digital art and collage. He's also a self-professed cinema geek slash music fanatic & people's person.
We welcome him to The FRM Newsletter to share what he’s been into recently!
I've been listening to a lot of his music. I discovered him through my friend and artist Songezo Zantsi. Makhafula comments on the socioeconomic landscape of black people in post-apartheid South Africa. Many of his stories are told in his native Zulu, mixed with Kasi “taal” and English, with sometimes a melodic keyboard and bass backing him, aim to portray the life in the township in its most vivid and honest way – without sugar coating anything. Sometimes humorous, sometimes heartbreaking, Makhafula delivers with every song.
🅱️📹 Banned.Video
This is not for the light-hearted. If you ever felt like you searching for a second opinion apart from news outlets, Banned.Video provides the videos that are banned from circular media and that are deemed insensitive for the Gen-Pop to see. If you are into conspiracy theory, which is a iconoclast term for those who go against what the powers who control the planets say, then that's the place to be. I would reveal more about de-population through forced vaccination, but I’ll leave that for you.
This is the first book I've ever read which is told through the POV of the main character, unlike ‘Catcher in the Rye’ which is a book that deeply moved me in my youth. In this book we never get to know the main characters name, at all. Amazing read, like always Zakes Mda never disappoints.
This is my favourite place to discover new music. I've physically only been once and that was last year October. However I am always tuned in to hear the new mixes being dropped by local talent. I hope to learn how to deejay by the end of this year so I can play there one day. This is when my Shazam is working at its most! My favourite mix so far I have to hand it to Insertcoinz, because I didn't know a single song he played, everything was fresh to my ears.
🏃🏾 Jogging
I jog obsessively and ritually. I am not a gym fanatic, however I enjoy jogging and what it does for me mentally and spiritually. Jogging conditions my mind to complete and execute tasks, because no matter what if I have a set destination and distance set, I have to reach it no matter what. So that really helps me and it is also said that exercise helps grow one's pre-frontal cortex, which is the part of your brain responsible for your willpower, dopamine and self-control, etc. And meditation, I meditate everyday for 10 minutes, that's how far I am aiming at the moment.
👨🏽🍳🍱 Jordans Way of Cooking
This is a restaurant in Langa township. It offers a genuine fine dining experience. The founder and head chef worked in many luxurious hotels and restaurants around the world and he tries to offer his travels and experiences back to his people using food, which I such a beautiful thing. With more than 30 employees, he's also providing employment. The food is absolutely divine.
🖼🎨 Photo book! Photo-book! Photobook!
A research exhibition by art critic and writer Sean O'toole. Unfortunately it's coming to a close on the 22nd of April. This has been my favourite exhibition in Cape Town for the past two months. It's literally an exhibition of photobooks. I would sneak in and skeem through so much imagery.
🏫👨🏾💻 Ed X
I've enrolled for some free short course using Ed X. There's a lot of short courses from many prestigious universities around the world. I'm currently doing a short course on Architecture at Harvard.
🍿📽 Lucky (2011)
It's actually the last feature film I watched. I caught it on Dstv and recorded it. I try to refrain from watching too much TV because I feel like it's a stupid device. ‘Lucky’ is a breathtaking South African film beautifully portraying post apartheid South Africa and its many underlying themes. Set in Durban, ‘Lucky’ follows a young boy, also named Lucky, after the loss of his mother to AIDS, and his goal is to reach his uncle in the city so that he could attend school.
🇿🇦🧥 Afrogrunge
A fashion and streetwear clothing brand from Cape Town. I've been photographing Afrogrunge and we have just completed our second shoot together. Myself and Anita, the founder, actually went to high school together and we finally working together on some visuals. Keep up to that. And everything related to freelancing I post on my @noirboifly page.