6 THINGS WITH WONDERBOY "Dablaq.wonder" MTHEMBU

Friday, June 03, 2016

Instagram for me is such an inspiration hub. I get to follow and sometimes stalk all the people whose aesthetics appeals to me. I go on the discover tab where I get to find all the hidden Instagram gems. Wonderboy is one of those people I found on Instagram. His work and great artistic sense appealed to me and I had to click that follow button to get a daily dose of his fresh perspective on fashion, art and photography. I stalk and follow a lot of people on Instagram but his work really stood out for me so I just had to pick his brain a bit about the things that inspire and lie behind this creativity.

Wonderboy Bheki Mthembu (Dablaq.wonder) is based in Durban and Stanger in KZN, He described himself as a loving, caring, patient person with a good eye for art. He loves fashion and photography and works at Aquelle ekhamanzi (part time) and is also a freelance photographer.

1.Where do you draw inspiration from in terms of clothing, your photography and the way you curate your Instagram feed?

I draw my inspiration for fashion from Mr Sam Lambert and Mr. Shaka Maidoh, the African and British-born design duo behind Art Comes First , a fashion collective that shares the same fascination for taking old things and and grafting pieces together to find new expressions, Loux the vintage guru from Namibia , Lungisani Mkhwanazi who is also known as "lungstar1966" and Luyolo Sire Madwe who is graphic designer from Durban.

2. You have a different, ethnic perspective when it comes to the photos you take, what influences your photography in terms of the location. the props and the editing?

When it comes to the pictures i take the one thing that influences my photography in terms of the location. the props and the editing Is my style, I always make sure that before every shoot I look for the perfect retro spots that will match with my outfit and style. I also look for things that will make my feed presentable

3. The words "Less art, more artists" are a recurring theme in your feed. What do they mean to you and what message are trying to relay?

It's "more artists Less Art". I came up with this phrase when I was in a group of four called "style and stuff", In this group we thought of ourselves as "artists" but our Art did not equal the number of people in the group. We all claimed to be artists but not everyone put in the work. There were more "artists" than the actual art, our art didn't equal to the number of "artists" in the group because some didn't want to work as much as others did, so I then decided to leave the group and start my own thing which is "more artists Less Art" and that's how the name came about. These words to me mean APPRECIATE ART.

4. Who is that one artist that you've always looked up to and why?

Lungisani Mkhwanazi, he is the one who introduced me to this style.

. 5 things you can't live without

- water
- coffee
- camera
- phone
- friends

6. words you live by or quote you live by?

"One Day It'll All Make Sense"