What do civil engineering, photography and illustration all have in common? Salizwa Wendy Mapamela! The 24 year old photographer & illustrator from Lusikisiki in Pondoland in the Eastern Cape also holds a BSc honours degree in Civil Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand.
Wendy has always had a thing for photography, in 2016 she decided to sacrifice a cruise with some of her acquaintances in order to buy her first camera using that money. She then decided to start a photography business with her fee starting at R100 per hour! And she's been doing her thing ever since.
Amongst all her photography work, one that caught a lot of eyes was her photography of Bontle Modiselle's baby shower. Yes, she was the beauty behind those stills! She describes working with the Modiselle's as a 'great experience'; "they're such warm people, I remember Bontle gave me a hug and thanked me for shooting her baby shower. Candice sent me a thank you message as well". We hope to see more of such beautiful and inspiring collaborations!
The photograph above is one that Wendy describes as her favourite that she's ever taken. "My favourite photograph is a picture of Noxolo that I took beginning of this year, it is such a powerful and very artistic image, it was an unplanned image that the team of the creatives I was working with and I thought of on the spot. It was a moment that got me to appreciate the power of collaborations."
"Art is pain, and pain is the art in which we find ourselves"
-r.m drake
It's no secret that some of the greatest art is inspired by pain, for Wendy that's exactly what drew her to illustrating - heartbreak! The inspiration for her drawings also comes from who she is, "I love nudity, wine, love and intimacy and that’s what most of my illustrations are centered around."
Wendy regards the illustration above as her favourite "because it best expresses the kind of space I was in when I started illustrating, heartbroken. I was able to express myself through it." Karabo Poppy and Slaying Goliath are the illustrators Wendy looks up to and would like to work with in future.
Wendy has made her work easily accessible as clothing and Framed photographs which you can order on the details below:
Website: www.undrapedart.co.za
Instagram: @undraped_art
Twitter: @SalizwaWendy
Photography Instagram: @wendy_images
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