The renowned visual artist Nene Mahlangu wants to end the deadly cycle of “artists becoming bankrupt.”
Mahlangu has launched a 16-lesson course titled “Introduction to Pricing Your Artwork” to assist other artists in determining the worth of their creations.
The course, authored and taught by Mahlangu, seeks to lower the number of outstanding visual artists who are unable to increase their income owing to a lack of business skills.
Mahlangu said in an interview with IOL Entertainment that she saw the gap between possessing creative potential and building a profitable art company, which prompted her to create the course.
“When I first began my job, I had no idea where to begin or how to explain my price. “I learned the proper way to accomplish things via the school of hard knocks,” stated Mahlangu.
“Also, price is more than just affixing a number to an item. Accessible information, as is the case in other sectors, is crucial to enhancing the quality and standard of our business.
“I would want to help to reversing the trend of ‘artists becoming bankrupt’ I think education is the remedy for this tendency.”
At the conclusion of the training, according to Mahlangu, the participants will have a better understanding of their pricing decision-making process, enabling them to set prices that support their lifestyles.
“They will gain knowledge of the methods they might use to boost the economic worth of their work.
“They will acquire the proper mentality to have in order to see possibilities around them and manage criticism successfully.
They will understand the most effective discounting tactics, when to use them and when not to. They will learn how to automate and monitor their bills in order to guarantee the smooth operation of their art company.
They will also learn how to diversify their revenue streams as visual artists.
Nene Mahlangu. Picture: Supplied
Mahlangu, who was born in Ga-Rankuwa, Pretoria, is interested in womanhood, race, and self-portraiture.
She added, “My art emphasizes the positive image of black bodies in a contemporary African style.”
“The recent decision by the media to make the face of the smallpox outbreak unmistakably black and African; the perpetuation of the negative stereotype that assigns calamity to the African race and privilege and immunity to other races; is an eloquent illustration of how creating beautiful images of black people is a necessary act of resistance.
In addition to the importance I place on the good portrayal of black people, I often hide the eyes of my subjects to symbolize the court system’s insensitivity to money, power, gender, and color (quoting Lady Justice).
She stated, “Although we are not law enforcement, thus the absence of the sword (representing our ability to impose punishment) that Lady Justice often bears, we are ordinary people with our own preferences and experiences.
“Change is possible if individuals strive to alter their local surroundings when they see injustice or corruption. If we are ever lured into seductive situations, I hope that we will not be influenced by a person’s riches, power, gender, or ethnicity.”
As the youngest woman to ever design two coins for South Africa in partnership with the South African Mint, Mahlangu created history.
“This initiative was intended to celebrate 25 years of democracy in South Africa. I was invited to the South African Mint’s headquarters to participate in a project.
“After several revisions, I was subsequently chosen to design two coins for the project. One symbolizes the right to an education, while the other represents the rights of children.
Nene Mahlangu. Picture: Supplied
This year, while attending Harvard Business School Online, Mahlangu was named the principal visual artist for Black Coffee’s Hi Ibiza residency, producing 23 artworks for the project.
“The majority of the artworks were created during my artist residence in Finland. My works are a little more adventurous than in the past. I was inspired by the island of Ibiza’s fun and colorful character,” she remarked.
“I kept thinking the kind of individuals I might encounter if I traveled there, as well as what they would look like.
“The artworks depict the many audiences that Black Coffee draws to his shows, and they serve as a stunning visual reminder of the unifying power of music.”
I liked stretching my creative limits in order to do this.