Figures In A Dream Landscape ,2008
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Notes : This artwork is part of the Window series, a concept I'm still exploring. This series also includes some performances that respond to the artwork. It is a somewhat obsessive and never-ending project that I believe I will only stop exploring when it reaches a point of spectacular impact both visually and conceptually. Of course, there are other projects in between.
The Window series commenced in 2009 with an exhibition at the Association for Visual Arts titled The Window Part One. It delves into different ways of seeing and how we perceive things. I recall being in the Eastern Cape, gazing at beautiful landscapes through the window of my aunt's house. I was astounded by how the world could fit into such a small space. When there was less light, the distance between the window frame and the landscape seemed smaller. But as the light emerged and reached my eyes, the landscape widened and stretched, which was when I fell in love with landscapes and the use of light in painting. The Window project took a symbolic turn as I introduced figures or people, albeit smaller in size compared to the landscape, creating a narrative set in an imaginary landscape. I often positioned these figures in a specific scenario within the landscape, usually around a particular object, to tell a story.
The Figures in a dream landscape features men sitting on the windowsill, indulging in alcohol. The window symbolizes enlightenment and an opportunity to see and explore. The men drink alcohol, hoping for eternal enlightenment. [1]
[1] Ngqinambi, N. (2023) E-mail correspondence with Nonkululeko Sibande, 18 October 2023.
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