The Self-Education of fine artist, Yolanda Mazwana

I think we are all born to create yet, it takes a certain determination to know deeply and irrevocably that the artist path, as a professional and expressive pathway, is yours for the making. For Yolanda Mazwana, heeding the creative call was non-negotiable and to make it happen; she was going to do it on her own, with the mentorship she found along the way through conversations, chance-connections and in the confines of her commitment to practicing.

Today, Yolanda stands out as one of South Africa’s leading voices in Neo-expressionist fine art. Her distinctive figurative style emerges from her observations of life and the broader conversations she has engaged with in various spaces, By listening deeply and reflecting on the world through her unique view Yolanda’s compelling body is scattered with a figurative style that she has built up from the bedrock of her observations of life experiences and the experience of the human condition and the emotional landscapes that come with it. Being as deeply attuned to the human condition Yolanda is, and interpreting the world through her view, her work is defined by its signature crimson hues that captures the raw and complex realities of the female experience in its most unapologetic form.

“It’s always interesting when you tell people that you’re a self-taught artist,” says Yolanda in our conversation, “People have an insane reaction — as though it’s almost unheard of. I just knew when I left school that it was a very clear path for me, that art was all I wanted to pursue. I was quite stubborn about it.” Without the foundation of an art school, Yolanda had to create her kind of art education, one that saw her immersed in Joburg’s artistic enclave of Braam, dreaming at galleries and meeting various creative people. Forgoing formal art school, Yolanda charted her own educational journey. Immersing herself in Johannesburg’s vibrant artistic scene, Yolanda’s classes were the galleries, chance encounters and relentless self -practice that tempered her journey . Drinking up all she could, retaining every note or tidbit of information, Yolanda explains that “I did a lot of research and a lot of networking. Pursuing a career independently, I spent a lot of time creating my own visual language and style. When I started, I didn’t have a lot of resources. It was me, sketching at home, with pencils. My mom could see that their drive and passion were happening.”

While art school provides a structured foundation for technique and guidance, Yolanda’s journey demonstrates that success can also come from forging your own path. By immersing herself in Joburg’s artistic scene and learning through workshops, artist residencies, collaborations and developing her unique visual language, Yolanda carved out an education that was entirely her own, “As a self-taught artist, I couldn’t rely on a degree and some kind of formal expertise. Instead I focused on networking, meeting different people and understanding different perspectives. I did a lot of workshops, artist residencies, and a lot of practice. I’m an introverted person but I had to connect with people and ask questions.”

Yolanda’s visual style is deeply rooted in her abstraction of the human figure. Her characters, or “blobs,” as she affectionately describes them, inherit the legacy of humanity’s earliest artistic techniques. These “flaky blobs” are central to her practice—a playful yet profound exploration of the female form in its most abstract and emotive manifestations. The concept of the abstracted figure has long served as a universal method of symbolising emotion and ideas. The concept of the abstracted figure is our most visited means of symbolising emotion and ideas. As a powerful medium, the figure often serves a dual-purpose as an expression of the individual making sense of the collective experience. As Yolanda explains, “I didn’t start with paintings as my chosen medium. Initially, I explored portraiture and experimented with techniques before finding my own artistic direction. I then got really interested in experimenting with the concept of ‘the figure’, and refining what was unique to me about it.”

I ask Yolanda where she thinks her drive came from, to know instinctively that this was her path? “I was trying to find myself. I didn’t find my strengths in an academic setting and I knew that I needed to do something creative — it was going to be painting or culinary arts. I am a much better critical thinker and far more expressive when I work with my hands.”

Underpinned by deep crimson tones, fiery scarlets and vermilions — Yolanda’s style is distinct and her subject matter is profoundly visceral, such that one can spot a Mazwana work before knowing that it is indeed, hers. Each of Yolanda’s works is evocative, as if capturing an outward reflection of all that is ineffable about the feminine experience — all the depth, all the horror, all the discomfort, all the power and all the joy. On her narrative direction, Yolanda shares that “I had to find my narrative and what I wanted to express in my work. My empathy and deep curiosity about the female body—its conditions, both physical and emotional, and the experiences it undergoes—are important to me. Social issues are very significant—everyday life and everyday conversations. I drew on these profound discussions to examine the complexities of the female body, shedding light on experiences often left unspoken. My explorations celebrate the resilience of women while creating space for reflection and dialogue about the intricate relationship between the body, health, and identity. I naturally felt an intuitive process unfolding in what I wanted to convey through my work,” she explains. “My first body of work, Secret Home Girls, was about the fear of the outside world. A lot of us, as Black women, were trying to describe what that meant to us—how do you even explain that in English? It’s agoraphobia,” and Yolanda adds that, “the next step was to channel that through painting, and my figurative style was born from this process.”

Why red? I mean, I can attest to the profound effect red has on me personally and its recent resurgence in contemporary culture (especially fashion) has felt like a sign of the complex times we live in. Red has never, though, left the realms of artistic expression and as Yolanda poignantly notes, “red is the emotional state of the physical body. I use red to describe those really difficult conversations and depict what is happening in the physical body and in the mind, particularly the female body. I talk about reproductive health, mental health and femininity and sensuality and when I try to explain that, I use red. Red is a very powerful and feminine colour and I needed the colour I chose to embody both those qualities.” Red, for Yolanda, embodies the emotional and physical states of the female body. Through its different shades she explores the complex themes like reproductive health , mental wellness and the unspoken stories held within the body. It is one thing to master a particular technique or stylistic approach, but to take a single colour and exalt it across varying shades and contexts, over and over again, speaks to a kind of mastery that Yolanda has come to embody as an artist; ever-fresh, ever-thoughtful works are her consistent offering to the world; “it’s not just about the message — it’s about the medium and the technique all coming together to express the full picture,” Yolanda points out.

Recently, Yolanda has ventured into sculpture. After years dedicated to painting, Yolanda says “I started making sculptures around eight months ago, so it’s a very new medium for me. I am one of the only people in my ceramics class who does sculpture. I think it’s a bit weird for people to see me putting together all these really weird forms, while everyone is making plates — and I’m making my blobs!”

As though she has reached into her paintings to pull out and extract her figures into physical form, Yolanda shares that this was indeed the intention, that “I had wanted to find a third-dimensional way to build on the figures that I paint. The thing with ceramic is that you never know how the colours or shape will hold before firing, so it’s an interesting journey.”

Yolanda has given herself the permission this year to feel situated as a painter. After years of refining — honing — pursuing, her sculptural pursuit points to an artist ready to embrace a multimedia approach, and Yolanda’s own patience in knowing when to heed the precise moments of the creative call as they arise., “this year has been great. 2024 was the year of creative exploration. It felt like an anniversary of my professional practice as an artist, so I was very intentional about exploring something new. I found a sense of completeness as a painter. Being open to other mediums and ways of expressing myself is important for me — I don’t want to box myself anymore. In 2025, I’m going to continue to explore and evolve and find other ways of making.”

With thematic concerns that transcend national identity and speak to the universality of social issues and the feminine experience, Yolanda’s paintings engage with everyday life and the powerful conversations that define our collective experience. Yolanda’s next movements will hopefully see her internationally represented, “I would like to expand worldwide. At home, I want to be involved in seeing how I can help other artists through advice and guidance; what people were doing for me when I started.” I want to envision a future where my work not only expands globally but also fosters a supportive network for emerging artists ,continuing the cycle of mentorship and inspiration that shaped my own journey It is the latter, of building her career despite any formal background, that serves as an extremely important reminder to any burgeoning artist in South Africa to heed the creative call.

Lastly, I ask Yolanda to reflect on her experience as an artist, navigating South Africa’s artistic landscape. She notes that “having determination, patience, empathy, and strength as an artist has been essential for navigating this journey. For me, these traits have been crucial in building my career and nurturing the deep conversations that my work invites. My work focuses on the female experience- what it means to be a woman, and how it affects us both physically and psychologically. It’s vulnerable and intense, but uniquely special, and I want others to see that in my work.” Incredibly special, indeed. Yolanda Mazwana is unflinching in her exploration of the feminine psyche and does so with stunning effect — oh, to be held in the blood-coloured waters of her creative world. Divine.