About Bongani Tshunungwa

My name is Bongani Tshunungwa. I am a Soweto-born Mosaic Artist. I started art at the age of 15. I was painting at that age specialising in watercolour painting, inspired by the late great Durant Sihlali. I am interested in doing something new, something different, every time I am doing art.

In 2004, I met Alexandra Carron, a globally-renowned Mosaic Artist, when she was teaching Mosaic Art in poor communities. Alexandra taught me Mosaic Art, which I found very interesting. I started incorporating mosaic work into my art after acquiring the relevant skills. In that same year she employed me to work at her studio in Norwood, Johannesburg.

Alexandra then left South Africa to return to France and I was left uncompleted projects. That’s when I met another Mosaic Artist, Ira Bekker, Ira focused on Ceramic Mosaic and taught me some tricks that go with doing Ceramics Mosaic Art.

I worked with her on some projects and it was a blessing working with her as we discussed and planned a lot before working on a project and she gave me room to be creative. We tried new things such as 3D Mosaic and the Chimneys sculptures using fiber glass then proceeding to mosaic it.

For me, Mosaic Art is therapeutic as it relieves stress and is a coping mechanism when facing life challenges. I also like teaching Mosaic Art in schools and in the community. I like to teach the youth the skill of Mosaic Art and to mentor them so that they stay away and abstain from drug use and crime.

Further, I like commercial mosaic as it is interesting to do large pieces of mosaic, I get to work with a few people to whom I have taught Mosaic Art and I get to pay them which shows them that their work has value.

I also like working with small pieces as I get to use my creativity in a different way.

My work to create portraits of struggle icons has been particularly meaningful to me.

On my process, typically I set up the art work on a fibre glass mesh. The design is then cut into pieces so that it will be easy for transportation and installation on-site. The client is welcome and recommended to to be present during installation.

Getting to see the final product is such a huge moment for me.