"Johannesburg-based artist Lulama “Wolf” Mlambo has a striking,pared-down style that blends anthropomorphic elements with vernacular architecture, natural elements, and more.
Lulama 'wolf' Mlambo is a 27-year-old visual artist who lives and works in Johannesburg South Africa. In her first year of college at the University of Johannesburg (2013) Studying fine art and fashion her expressionist and abstract interest asserted itself as she became more involved in her practice. Being the millennial creative, Mlambo has been exposed and known for different forms of expression through photography and mixed-media digital collages. Although her formal training ended prematurely she is greatly inspired by two fellow artists Mmakgabo Helen Sebidi and Ernest Mancoba (1904 - 2002)
A principle theme in Mlambo's work is space, spirituality and influences from vernacular architecture. She explores the human condition in extremely imaginative ways creating hyper visualized characters. Curiosity for science in the African context, how the different themes are interlinked and what service (roles?) they play to one another. Her work at the intersection of neo- expression and modern African art, Mlambo interrogates the Pre- colonial African experience through the contemporary mind by using smearing, scraped and deep pigment techniques that were used invernacular architecture or the patterns created by mostly women to decorate african homes. History and proof of life are the core languages in her work where there is little to no reference of life in black spirituality. She uses that narrative by staging her 2D Acrylic paintings to embody the simplicity of the native eye. Her intention is tender and is protective of her imaginary world or rather her symbolic view of how her world looks in an alternate universe. She is set on creating a photographic/graphic experience that morphs and shape shifts into 2 dimensional plane or higher.
"Johannesburg-based artist Lulama "Wolf" Mlambo has a striking,pared-down style that blends anthropomorphic elements with vernacular architecture, natural elements, and more. Mlambo explores her themes, often rooted in the links between science,spirituality, and history, from a contemporary South African perspective, in which she acts as an almost alien-force looking into the past. Her techniques interrogate a pre-colonial Africanexperience, with the artists engaging in smearing, scraping, and pigment techniques that were used in domestic-architecture African homes, along with references to the patterns of traditional women-made textiles." - ARTNET
She was the finalist of the The Emergence Art Prize hosted by THK gallery (2020). His group exhibition so far include: Rendevous 2, SMITH gallery, Cape Town (2018) ; Apartment Vol 2, the fourth gallery , Cape Town (2020); Boulervard D’Aguliion, Undiscovered Canvas,Antibes (2020), Reflect,Reimagine, Reset, THK gallery, Capetown (2020) 1-54 at Christies, Paris (2021) 1-54 at Sommersethouse, London (2021) Nature of women, Art She. Says, New York (2021) Ndoimadzi, both project space, Johannesburg (2021) Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt, FNB art joburg, Johannesburg (2021) ARTXLagos ,Nigeria (2021) embodied cognition, THK gallery, Cape Town (2021) Remaining Vernacular, Homage to vernacular art and texture, Affinity gallery & Undiscovered Canvas, Nigeria, (2021) , Ngizalwe Ngengubo Emhlope Solo Exhibition, Soshiro Gallery & Undiscovered Canvas, London, 2022, Eclipe, Gallery Artismagna & Undiscovered Canvas, Paris, 2022, Right To Ease, The Breeder Gallery, Athens, 2022. Smell The Flowers While You Can, OOA Gallery, Barlecona, 2023. Common Efforts, Eighteen Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2023.
ART RESIDENCY : Makwande Art Residency, Antibes - 2021