Mixing ancient spirituality, rock drawings, etchings of human evolution, and heritage this artist says history is key to making art new.
South African artist Lulama ‘Wolf’ Mlambo uses art intentionally to bare her “spirit”. The 28-year-old says she wants that to be the first thing a person sees before how her paintings look or even what it means. “When you meet someone, you meet their aura before you get to know who they are without them even saying anything,” she says over Zoom. My first impression of Wolf was that she gave off an effortless ‘cool girl’ vibe, though it’s also clear from our conversation that she carefully considers most things she does both on and off the canvas. She pauses before she speaks to think about what she is going to say, she never says too much usually opting to err on the side of caution. Wolf is dressed down in a green, white and black headwrap, clear lip gloss and a grey polo shirt. These muted tones mirror the earthy colours she employs in her paintings.
