More Than What Meets the Eye: Ngaatendwe Mapako and the Art of Seeing the World Differently

There is something fascinating about people who see the world a little differently from everyone else. While some of us walk through life noticing the obvious, others find inspiration in the smallest details: a passing image, an unusual combination of colours, an everyday object that most people would overlook, or even an experience that leaves behind an emotion they cannot quite put into words. For creatives, the world is often a canvas, and inspiration does not always announce itself. Sometimes it comes quietly, through observation, curiosity and the willingness to pay attention. For visual artist Ngaatendwe Mapako, creativity is not something that can easily be contained within a single definition, discipline or medium. He describes himself as an artist who refuses to box himself in or allow art to box him in. In his own words, he is like a two-way tunnel through which art comes in, stays and passes out. It is an interesting way of looking at creativity, one that suggests that art is not merely about producing something beautiful but about receiving, processing and translating the world around us into something others can experience. Although he works across drawing, painting, photography, graphic design and fashion, his approach is less about mastering different labels and more about finding the right language for whatever he wants to communicate. At the heart of it all is a curious mind that is constantly observing, questioning and experimenting.

For Ngaatendwe, the creative process rarely follows a predictable route. It might begin with an idea, an emotion, an image or an experience, but more often than not, these elements find themselves intertwined. He recalls visiting art galleries when he was younger, walking through rooms filled with paintings, drawings and installations, taking in more than he could perhaps consciously process at the time. He would leave with his mind full of images, impressions and feelings. What stayed with him was not necessarily a desire to reproduce what he had seen but the emotions and personal connections that those encounters stirred within him. An image of someone crying, for instance, might evoke sadness, laughter or even thoughts of personal experiences. The meaning of an artwork is not always as straightforward as what appears before the eyes; sometimes, what we see is interpreted through the lens of everything we have experienced. This is something that seems to inform his own approach to making art. An experience can evoke an emotion, that emotion can inspire an idea, and that idea eventually finds its way onto paper or into another creative medium. Sometimes, however, the process works in reverse. An image or thought appears in his mind first, and he follows it, allowing the experience of creating to reveal what it might mean. Perhaps one of the most interesting things about his philosophy is that he does not always approach his work with the expectation of having all the answers. He wants to learn from his art just as much as he wants to create it. He describes this as being present: paying attention to what he has experienced, what he is feeling, what his mind is showing him and even what his subconscious might be trying to communicate. In this sense, creating becomes an act of listening. The artist is not always in complete control of the direction the work takes, and perhaps that is part of the beauty of the process.

His reluctance to be confined to one artistic medium comes from a similar place of curiosity. Like many creatives, his journey began with the familiar simplicity of pen or pencil on paper. Drawing gradually opened the door to painting, which then led him to experiment with digital art. Rather than abandoning one medium for another, he discovered ways of bringing them together. A drawing might begin on paper, be photographed and transferred onto a computer, where additional layers, effects and elements are introduced. A photograph might capture a particular moment but fail to communicate the complete idea, prompting him to incorporate graphic design, text, filters or digital editing to bring the vision closer to life. What initially appears to be a simple creative process can therefore become an intersection of several artistic disciplines. For Ngaatendwe, each medium has its own possibilities, but it also has limitations. A pencil and paper can achieve certain things, while digital tools can introduce effects that would be difficult or time-consuming to reproduce by hand. Rather than allowing those limitations to determine what he can or cannot create, he sees them as opportunities to explore other possibilities. The more he experiments, the more he becomes aware of the different ways an idea can be expressed. It is this awareness that keeps him moving between mediums. His approach reminds us that creativity does not always require us to choose one path and remain there. Sometimes, the best way to communicate an idea is to allow different disciplines to collaborate.

Among those disciplines, fashion holds a particularly interesting place in his creative world. He sees clothing as a visual language, a form of art that people can wear and use to communicate something about themselves and the world around them. Long before someone introduces themselves or says a word, their clothing can offer glimpses into their personality, mood, identity, profession and even their beliefs. A light-coloured outfit or a simple vest on a sunny day might communicate a response to the weather, while an unexpected jacket on a particularly hot afternoon could suggest something about how someone is feeling. But clothing does not simply respond to our surroundings; it can also challenge them. Sometimes people dress in ways that deliberately go against social expectations, choosing to communicate that they do not necessarily subscribe to the norms of a particular time or place. He points to the way certain subcultures, including hippies, have historically used fashion to distinguish themselves and communicate their resistance to conventional expectations. Artists, too, often develop recognisable ways of presenting themselves, whether through unusual combinations, unconventional accessories or pieces that others might not immediately consider everyday clothing. He recalls wearing an oversized drawstring accessory on his wrist at a fabric party, a piece that attracted attention and sparked conversations among fellow creatives. What was particularly interesting was seeing how something that might ordinarily be overlooked or discarded could become a statement piece when presented differently. It is this ability to transform the ordinary into something expressive that makes fashion such an exciting extension of his artistic practice. Clothing can also carry messages that extend beyond the individual wearing it. A T-shirt bearing a statement about violence against women, child abuse, poverty or environmental protection becomes more than an item of clothing; it becomes a message that travels with the wearer. Whether subtle or direct, fashion has the ability to communicate personal identity while also engaging with wider social conversations.

Being a Zimbabwean creative adds another interesting dimension to his relationship with art. When discussing how much of Zimbabwe finds its way into his work, Ngaatendwe describes the influence as something of a fifty-fifty relationship. He is influenced by the culture, traditions and social expectations that have shaped his environment, but he also recognises that being an artist sometimes means questioning those very expectations. Growing up in a particular society inevitably shapes how we see the world, even when we do not consciously agree with everything around us. Cultural norms influence how we dress, the colours we associate with certain identities, how we behave in public and even what is considered acceptable in different spaces. For him, these influences are not necessarily things he wants to reproduce unquestioningly. Instead, they become material for observation, interpretation and sometimes resistance. He might draw on familiar Zimbabwean colour associations, such as the red, yellow and green often connected to African identity and Rastafarian aesthetics, to create a sense of familiarity or cultural connection. At other times, he might deliberately introduce something unfamiliar, challenging people to reconsider what they have grown accustomed to seeing. His exploration of tote bags is a good example of this relationship between creativity, culture and social awareness. Having noticed the potential of statement tote bags through the work of another creative, he became interested in introducing and wearing them in his own environment, particularly because they were not yet a common fashion choice among many Zimbabwean men. What began as an appreciation of an interesting fashion accessory developed into something with a wider environmental message. The tote bags were intended to offer an alternative to plastic bags, encouraging reuse while making sustainability something people could engage with through everyday fashion. He wanted them to be practical, but he also wanted them to look good. Rather than limiting the designs to the familiar red, yellow and green, he experimented with other colours, including blue and brown, drawing inspiration from the colours he observed in his surroundings. It is this interplay between embracing cultural influences and introducing new perspectives that makes his work interesting. He is not simply interested in reflecting the world as it is; he is also interested in imagining what it could become.

Of course, creating art that feels authentic to the artist while remaining accessible to an audience is not always a straightforward balancing act. There is the question of commercial appeal, the opinions of others and the desire to create something people can appreciate or purchase. Yet Ngaatendwe does not necessarily see these influences as things that must compete with his creative freedom. Instead, he approaches them with an openness that allows him to experiment without surrendering his artistic identity. He recalls that his original intention was not to venture into fashion. He was simply creating visual art, expressing his thoughts and experiences through different mediums. However, people began suggesting that some of his artwork would look good on T-shirts. He eventually decided to experiment, putting his own artwork on clothing and wearing his creations. People responded positively, some expressing interest in purchasing the pieces and encouraging him to explore collections. Rather than dismissing these suggestions because they were not part of his original vision, he allowed himself to explore what they could become. For him, listening to feedback does not mean allowing other people's expectations to dictate his creativity. It means being open enough to consider an idea, take what resonates, leave what does not and sometimes combine another person's suggestion with his own perspective to create something entirely different. He connects this process to the sociological concepts of the 'I' and the 'Me'. The 'I' represents the individual self, while the 'Me' reflects the social self, shaped partly by how others see and respond to us. In his creative practice, the two exist in conversation. There is the personal voice that drives him to create and the external perspective that offers feedback, interpretation and sometimes new possibilities. Finding balance means acknowledging both without allowing either to completely silence the other. What remains important, however, is that the starting point is always personal. His art is, first and foremost, a way of expressing what he thinks, feels and experiences. Whether he is exploring love, life lessons, personal experiences or simply documenting a particular moment in his life, the work begins with something he wants to communicate.

Interestingly, visual art is not the only avenue through which his thoughts find expression. Ngaatendwe also has a love for writing and poetry, although it is a side of his creativity that might not always be immediately visible. Sometimes words, rhymes and melodies come to him unexpectedly, even when he is not in a position to write them down. He describes those moments when an idea for a poem or song begins forming in his mind, perhaps while bathing or going about an ordinary activity, and the excitement of hearing the words unfold internally before he has the opportunity to capture them. By the time he is able to write something down, parts of the original idea may already have become blurry. Sometimes he manages to preserve a few lines, only for the rest of the poem to take shape later, influenced by whatever he is thinking or experiencing in that present moment. It is another example of how his creativity refuses to remain within clearly defined boundaries. Whether through a drawing, photograph, fashion piece or written word, the underlying desire remains the same: to translate thoughts and experiences into something that can be shared with the world.

Perhaps the most thought-provoking part of understanding Ngaatendwe's creative philosophy is discovering what he hopes people take away from encountering his work. For someone coming across his creations for the first time, without knowing anything about the person behind them, he hopes the experience leaves them with feelings, questions and a desire to reflect. This is particularly evident in his environmentally conscious brand, The Eth, which encourages people to examine their relationship with the environment and become more conscious of the consequences of their everyday actions. A piece of litter might seem insignificant to the person throwing it away, but where does it eventually end up? What happens when the waste we discard finds its way into someone else's home, an animal's habitat or the depths of the ocean? He recalls seeing an image of plastic waste resting at the bottom of the sea, a powerful reminder of just how far our discarded materials can travel and how long their impact can remain. Through The Eth, he wants people to pause and think about these seemingly ordinary actions. But his understanding of reflection extends far beyond environmental responsibility. He wants people to question what they consume, not just in terms of food, but also the media they engage with, the people they spend time around, the habits they maintain and the choices they make every day. It is about developing a greater awareness of the relationship between our actions and the world we inhabit. His intention is not necessarily to provide people with all the answers but to encourage them to ask better questions. He is drawn to the idea that art can disturb the disturbed and disturb the comfortable. In other words, art can offer reassurance to someone who feels misunderstood or alone, while simultaneously challenging someone who has become too comfortable with the way things are. He wants his work to do both. To comfort, provoke, challenge and inspire reflection.

Beyond the messages and concepts, however, there is another belief that seems central to his understanding of art: it should belong to everyone. He does not believe creativity should be reserved for professional artists, galleries, collectors or those who have the opportunity to exhibit their work. Art can be therapeutic, exploratory and deeply personal. It can be something we engage with at any age, regardless of whether we have formal training or consider ourselves particularly artistic. This philosophy also explains the almost childlike quality he sometimes embraces in his work. He wants his creations to communicate across generations, reaching younger audiences while remaining meaningful to older ones. There is something refreshing about this perspective, especially in a world where creativity can sometimes feel intimidating or exclusive. We often associate art with technical ability, expensive materials or the prestige of being recognised as an artist. Yet some of the most meaningful creative experiences happen in the simplest ways: drawing without worrying about perfection, experimenting with colours, writing down a thought or finding a new way to express an emotion. Art does not always have to hang on a gallery wall to have value. Sometimes, it simply needs to make us feel something.

Music also forms part of this wider creative experience. Ngaatendwe has a particular appreciation for jazz, which he often plays in the background while working on his art. He describes the calm it brings and the way it allows his mind to wander, creating an atmosphere in which ideas can move freely. He references the sentiment expressed in a song titled Jazz, which speaks of jazz as music for ordinary people. It is an idea that seems to resonate with his own understanding of art. Just as music can take us somewhere beyond our immediate surroundings, art can transport us from our present state and invite us to experience the world through a different perspective. Perhaps that is ultimately what he wants his work to do: take people places, even if only through a moment of reflection.

Getting to know Ngaatendwe Mapako through his creative philosophy is a reminder that an artist's work is often much bigger than the finished piece we see. Behind every image, design, photograph or fashion creation is a process of observation, interpretation, experimentation and sometimes even questioning. His refusal to be boxed into one medium is not simply about wanting to do many things; it is about recognising that ideas deserve the freedom to find the form that best expresses them. His relationship with Zimbabwean culture reflects a similar openness, allowing him to draw from his surroundings while also challenging familiar expectations. And through projects such as The Eth, he demonstrates that creativity can be both an expression of the self and a conversation with society. What I find particularly inspiring about his approach is the reminder that we do not always have to know exactly where our creativity is taking us. Sometimes we simply need to remain curious, pay attention and give our ideas room to grow. Perhaps the most beautiful thing an artist can do is not just teach us how to see their work, but encourage us to look at the world around us differently. Because art, as Ngaatendwe reminds us, is so much more than what meets the eye.