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Discover / Meet the Artist
Interview with Adiba Ndiwe
"Take up space and aim delusionally high."
Featuring
20.01.2025
Discover / Meet the Artist
Featuring
20.01.2025
Adiba Ndiwe’s art is deeply rooted in bold self-expression, a critical lens on societal structures, and an unwavering commitment to representing marginalised voices. Drawing inspiration from personal experiences, cultural heritage, and the complexities of human connection, the work transcends mere visual representation to create meaningful dialogues. Through portraiture, Adiba explores themes of familiarity, intimacy, and the layered existence of individuals, crafting pieces that challenge, inspire, and provoke thought.
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How has your upbringing and cultural background influenced your artistic journey and creative expression?
My parents encouraged my creative expression, which planted the seeds of self-assurance. I attended a state school, and the majority of students were from a global majority. Art was my favourite subject. I remember visiting the museum on a school trip and feeling enamoured by the paintings that hung in those big, gold frames. Back then I was unaware of the wider realities for marginalised creatives, because of the support I had in the little bubble that was my parents and art teacher. For example, I later found out that parents who experience systemic obstacles to securing education, employment and housing, may be less open to their child pursuing a career that’s not in-demand or financially stable. When you're poor, you don't have that safety net of generational wealth to fall back on whilst you figure yourself out - you have to get it right the first time. If the people succeeding in the career you want don't look like you, you might assume that that career is only destined for particular demographics. I already knew this to be BS, because there was a lot of talent in my school. But the extent of this lie runs deep, and I started questioning everything, like why are the artists we're taught about at school only European? It wasn’t until I attended University that I began to doubt myself - I think there was only 1 other non-white student in my year. But even that ignited something in me, and I saw the potential of utilising art for change. Everyone needs someone to believe in them. Maybe if my parents and teachers didn't encourage me, I might genuinely have started to believe that people who look like me don’t or can't create art. That realisation made me want to be as bold as possible, for the estate kids.
Explore the connection between spirituality and creativity in your work.
I fw this question. I believe art is a form of expression, but also communication. We're communicating our understanding of the world, by manipulating and coordinating our bodies to “draw” and “paint”. It’s a language, but it's unique because it's without rules and restrictions. In a spiritual context absolutely no one experiences life in the same way, so analysing what’s been visually communicated gives insight into the soul. People viewing my artwork probably read that I'm playful, and find other people intriguing. That’s why I love portraiture - you can tell a lot about the relationship between the artist and their muse by a portrait. You can spend hours dissecting and discussing the specifics of that portrait, to reach the simple conclusion that people are fascinated by other people because of our own vanity, to the extent of visual immortalisation. Isn't that what God did? Create people in his image.
Discuss your strategies for staying motivated and continually finding inspiration in your artistic practice.
I think we’re most inspired when our perspective is challenged. Commit to being a lifelong student and find ways to expand your awareness of what’s outside of yourself. You can learn a lot from other people, and what you learn will inspire you.
Discuss the importance of personal connection to your subject matter. How important is having a personal connection to the subjects or themes of your artwork? Can you give examples of how this connection has influenced your work?
My mum always said that when you paint someone’s portrait, you unintentionally make them resemble you in some way. I definitely relate to that. Humans tend to seek out familiarity, so for artists, we're primarily focusing on features that confirm their humanity; the eyes and the mouth. Then aside from their physicality, you look at their mannerisms, their expression, their aura. You have to really look at them. The differences. Then there’s the nature of the relationship between the artist and muse, looking at them might evoke a feeling that you might attempt to translate. Maybe that's why I've been drawn to painting lovers. Then the more you look at them, you return to your primary focus in that this person is a lot like you, that undeniable familiarity. Personal connection isn't that important though, you don't have to know someone personally to paint them well because painting someone is an act of intimacy. It forces you to recognise the layered existence of another human.
Can art be objectively valued, and what role do you think academic institutions should play in art education?
What’s the definition of value? One thing my art school was against was being a “sell-out” - producing commercial art. Capitalist greed exists in every area of life, including the art industry. There are particular rules to follow for producing artwork that commercial galleries may be more interested in, however, you probably sacrifice making work that’s of lower intellectual value. Then a product of colonialism and imperialism was the (false) narrative that Western art has the most artistic value, in comparison to African, Asian and Indigenous artworks which tend to be considered artefacts, even present day. Ask yourself why the Benin Bronzes aren’t considered masterpieces in the same way as the Mona Lisa. It depends on your definition of value. I think art schools must cultivate critical thinking by prioritising the development and decolonisation of their curriculum because even our objective opinion can be tainted by bias. To me, what’s objectively valued is subjectively valued, because the criteria to determine “value” were invented by humans to benefit others.
List five key insights or lessons you wish you had known when you started your artistic journey.
Consistency is power. I know some truly gifted individuals, and I know some aight ones. Who's more likely to excel? The ones who don't hide their talent from the world, who submit those applications, post about that new thing they’ve been working on, who remain consistent. Talent doesn’t automate success, and success isn’t an indicator of talent. Secondly, your self-development journey is lifelong, unless you choose stagnancy. Thirdly, rejection is a part of life and isn’t an indicator of your ability or value. Rejection transmutes into success if you aren’t deterred from trying again. Fourth, unfortunately, the art world is elitist and exclusionary. Most success is achieved through networking and forming connections. Privileged individuals may already be in the circles of industry decision-makers. They may be more likely to possess an inherent confidence regarding their entitlement to opportunity and their place in the world. Then there's money. Not everyone can afford to take an internship (unpaid work) or attend a networking event at 12 pm on a Wednesday. What if you have carer responsibilities or you’re a single parent? What do you do then? You either prioritise your survival or work twice as hard. I think the current figure is 81% of the creative industry is from a middle-class background. So yes the odds are stacked, but that doesn't mean it's impossible. The remaining 19% will tell you that much. And lastly, take up space and aim delusionally high.
How would you like to be remembered in the art world?
As a beautifully authentic dreamer.
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Adiba Ndiwe’s artistic journey is a testament to resilience, authenticity, and the power of representation. By blending technical skill with a sharp critique of systemic inequalities, the work speaks to a broader vision of inclusivity and transformation. Through each creation, Adiba carves a space for honest reflection and bold aspirations, reminding the art world to remain grounded in humanity while daring to imagine a more equitable future.