Sikho Mququ ~ emerging local talent

The Eastern Cape is home to much talent, particularly East London and its immediate surrounds. Talent in the form of musicians, actors, athletes and many, many great artists.  It is the artists, be it painters, potters or photographers, who have had support from one of our city’s most famous art galleries, the Ann Bryant Art Gallery.

One such talented artist who has recently had the opportunity to exhibit at the Ann Bryant Art Gallery is 25 year old Sikho Mququ.  Sikho had a strong passion for drawing growing up in Rosedale, Mthatha.  He enjoyed school in general but it was art that held his interest.  As he grew up and his family relocated to Queenstown, he discovered another passion – technology. What he loved most of all was taking electronic items apart, curious as to how they worked. And, more often than not, he was able to reassemble the items without fault.

After he matriculated in 2006 in Queenstown, Sikho relocated to Cape Town to stay with his sister. Despite his strong love for art, he didn’t have the courage to pursue it and was unsure about the next step to take in his career. After applications at a couple of schools, Sikho attended the College of Cape Town in 2007 and obtained a Certificate in Electrical Engineering, based on fault finding. The following year, he obtained another Certificate, this time in IT.  Although he was based in Cape Town, he would come home to Mthatha for the summer holidays and, in 2008, he applied for a place at the Walter Sisulu University, keen to go further with his studies in IT.  Unfortunately, due to his late application, the IT course was full, but there was a place available on the course of his second option, Fine Arts.

Sikho attended his interview in January 2009 and, despite feeling very inexperienced in Fine Arts, was accepted onto the course.  As he began his studies a month later, he realised that although he knew how to draw and had the passion for it, there was still so much he needed to learn, in particular the technical side of things.  He also realised that he hadn’t been exposed to many artists at that stage although he cites Mthatha-based artist, Olwethu Fiphaza, as one of his firm favourites.

In that same year, Sikho was introduced to clay.  He could remember experiencing and playing around with clay at the dam when he was a young boy growing up in Mthatha… back then he would create the Nguni cattle that is common to rural areas, but this way something different altogether. Through his lecturers Miss Siziwe Sotewu and Mrs Heather Osner, he experienced a whole new side of clay.  During his first term, he developed an interest in sculpting rather than working on the wheel but in his second term it was compulsory to do wheel work and, as time went by, he gained more of an interest in it and completed his Diploma, passing with high marks.

As part of his Fine Arts course, he attended the Grahamstown Festival in his second and third year, experiencing four days there each time. It was during his third year that he met a ceramics artist from Swaziland named Meshack Masuku, a man who was to play a large role in Sikho’s future.

Following the completion of his Diploma in 2011, Sikho worked part-time at the Christian Connection Bookshop in Southernwood as a Sales Assistant and Cashier and learnt more about running a business.  At that stage in his life, Sikho had a keen interest in Carpentry and thought about opening a business.  Despite registering a Carpentry business through the NYDA (National Youth Development Agency) a couple of months later, he felt confused about the career path he had chosen and things didn’t quite pan out how Sikho had hoped.

It was at this point that Sikho thought once again of Meshack, the artist he had met in Grahamstown. Upon meeting one another back then, Sikho had expressed a keen interest in ceramics and Meshack had invited Sikho to his studio in Kenton-on-Sea, once he had finished his studies.  Sikho contacted Meshack but discovered that he wasn’t in Kenton-on-Sea but working on a ceramics project for rural developments in Port St Johns.  Meshack, however, still invited Sikho to the studio in Kenton-on-Sea as his daughter-in-law and grandson were working there.  He explained that although he couldn’t employ Sikho, he was more than happy to teach him everything he needed to learn about ceramics.

Packing his bags and leaving for Kenton-on-Sea in August 2012, Sikho spent 13 months working at Meshack’s studio and, once he had returned from Port St Johns, for the man himself. Sikho gained invaluable knowledge from this incredible mentor, not only about ceramics but about life in general and it was a period of great growth for him.

Eventually, the time came for Sikho to head out on his own and, when he visited East London, he would search for a suitable art centre from which to base himself.  He disovered the Gompo Art Centre in Duncan Village which was in a safe environment but unfortunately didn’t have an awful lot of equipment on the ceramics platform. Sikho decided that he would apply to work there anyway and worry about the equipment factor later.  After his work experience with Meshack, Sikho now had a great portfolio and many samples of his work and, as directed by management, he wrote a letter and gave a proposal to the Art Centre. A visit to the Department of Arts & Culture led him to a chance meeting with another Gompo Manager who secured a place for him there.

The Gompo Art Centre operates as an upliftment programme in Duncan Village and serves as a community where artists who have a particular skill can work from. Sikho settled in quickly at Gompo and produced a large quantity of pots, mugs, bowls etc over a period of two months. All that remained was to organise a kiln to fire his products so that he could move forward.  Sikho received continued support from his mother and, after a trip to Port Elizabeth, he was able to purchase his very own kiln.  Sikho experienced a couple of technical hiccups but with help from local ceramics artist Jeremy Dubber, he was good to go.

Through the NYDA, Sikho registered his ceramics business, Ckho Ceramique, on 4^th November 2013 and applied for funding which he received this year.

Through determination and hard work, Sikho produced a vast array of ceramics, all wonderfully created with his signature design. His first exhibition was at the Gonubie Hotel, as part of the Dream Designs Expo and he received very positive attention. Most recently, Sikho’s ceramics were exhibited at the Ann Bryant Art Gallery as part of a Gompo Art Centre collective exhibition and again, there was a great response to his work.

And so it’s onwards and upwards for Sikho! His next step is the Grahamstown Festival where he will be selling his original and very beautiful ceramics and we have no doubt that he will do extremely well with his sales. It has been a difficult and challenging few years for Sikho but he has come out smiling and is positive about his future.

If you are interested in Sikho’s work, you can contact him via his Facebook page, Ckho Ceramique. Support the East London community and shop local!