The Man who Never Slept, 2023
Mmangaliso Nzuza (b. 1998) is a visual artist who lives and works in Cape Town, South Africa.
Nzuza draws inspiration from his own personal history and popular culture. Recognised for his cubism-inspired figuration, his style is characterised by his use of impasto oil paint and bold brush strokes. He often depicts his subjects in an introspective and contemplative state, using colour and composition to convey a sense of depth and complexity.
Focused on large-scale oil paintings, Nzuza developed a distinctive visual language to render his subjects. The act of depicting a figure becomes a study in uncovering an imagined character; visceral texture, swathes of paint, and loosely rendered lines create lucid form and feeling. Nzuza’s figures, in their dulcet tones and abstractions, hum with significant kinetic energy.