Maria Haipinge
Renowned for his unique nail and string art recognised by local and South African celebrities such as actress and businesswoman Connie Ferguson, Ndako Ngipandulwa is still as unwavering at his craft as ever.
The diligent and awe-inspiring artist recently held his second guided class at the Namibian Arts Association (NAA), during which he demonstrated how he creates his pieces, and taught participants how to make their own string art pieces under his guidance.
Briefly sharing his journey and experience in working with nails and strings with VIBEZ, Ngipandulwa revealed how he became a master in the craft from working with basic nails and strings in high school, and initially having no intention of pursuing it.
At the time when he started taking art seriously, he endeavoured multiple artistic experiments.
“I was painting with oils, with acrylic. I was doing pencil drawings. I tried a little bit of sculpting, and nails and strings were just one of the mediums that I tried. It just stuck with me, I guess,” he noted.
Asked why he continued with nails and strings, Ngipandulwa said: “In the beginning when I started with nails and strings, it was very challenging, and I guess that’s what drew me to it”.
Despite his first artworks not being the best, he remained determined, and in the process fell in love with it. The artist describes working with the materials as something “quite labour-intensive”, and that it asks for a lot of time. A small piece would take a few days, and a larger piece can take up to weeks or a month.
Ngipandulwa trained two individuals to assist him in his work – one helps with hammering in the nails, and the other helps with stringing.
The vibrant and relaxed workshop at the NAA also allowed experienced drawing artists to show their skills and mingle. Content and satisfied with the engagement, Ngipandulwa said: “It felt like being with family”. Feedback from visitants, according to him, was satisfying, and some want more of this in future.
Meanwhile, Ngipandulwa is working towards his first solo exhibition, which will be in November this year.