Cinga Samson's Brooding Peace

At first glance, you would describe Cinga Samson’s creations as dreary. The South African artist paints gloomy backdrops, which are dark and brooding, despite the flood of plants and flowers in them. In a way, this represents the environment South Africans (and Africans as a whole) find themselves - one full of potential beauty, but marred by racism, corruption, and a myriad of other issues.

But that’s not all there is. Samson features self portraits in his work as well, transposed in front of these bleak but hopeful backdrops. He portrays himself as a young man who is multilayered and fluid - evident in the diverse fashion style he sports. But he is comfortable with himself, whether wearing a silk open shirt and holding a fan, or wearing jewellery, or a simple tee. He’s comfortable, introspective (his pupils in all the paintings are turned inwards), and at peace with himself and his space within his difficult environment.

Check out some of the works below.

See Cinga Samson’s latest works here, and read this insightful conversation with him here.