Lona Ndzimande

“Through portraiture and collage, I create figures that hold both vulnerability and resistance, reclaiming agency within spaces that have historically sought to define and contain them. My layered textures, playful fashion and beaded eyes undo generations of patriarchal conditioning — wiping away narrow societal expectations and rewriting a new narrative of autonomy, joy and self-determination, reclaiming ownership of the image and establishing a bold and unshakable presence. These paintings become declarations, expressions of what was restrained, softened, or left unspoken. The title of this body of work is What I Meant to Say, both a personal reflection and a collective gesture toward autonomy, sensuality, and self-definition.”