Mako Mutezo

The incredibly talented Mako Mutezo sits down and gives us a glimpse into the process that goes in behind his works, touching on his influences, the importance of music in the creative industry, and his opinion on the state of South African creativity along the way.

Mak, wonderful to have you here. So let's start this by asking you to describe yourself as a designer.

Thank you for having me, I see myself as a multidisciplinary artist who focuses on food design, fashion and crafts/tinkering. My main goal is to translate and communicate the message using the respective materials that align with the body of work. Collaboration is also key for me, there are things I don't know that others do.

Who, or what, would you say are some of the biggest influences in your work?

Firstly Kerby Jean Raymond, Pyer Moss creative director, Yohji Yamamoto, Virgil Abloh, Legendary Oliver Mtukudzi and Alick Macheso. But, to be honest, Pretoria has an undisputed amount of talent, so I don't have to look far. Shout out to Molecule & Thonique.

Describe your creative process, if you have one.

I wouldn't say I have a specific process. However, most of my work is heavily research-based and emotive. For example, the MF Doom illustration was inspired by a feeling of curiosity that was shared with the fans that wanted to know whos really behind the beautiful music and the mask following how frustrated they would get going to live shows and seeing different versions of Doom. I only found out about this after sieving through countless interviews and articles. The more information I can get, the easier it is to communicate without saying too much, sometimes all you need is a symbol, like his mask.

So would you say your works are heavily premeditated and planned out?

Not necessarily. As much as it is heavily research-based, it is still incredibly emotive. And so there is always that spontaneity involved. It's more of going in-depth and exploring more of an idea which came about from a spontaneous moment.

1. You did previously mentioned how you are a multidisciplinary artist working with different mediums. How easy is it for you to transition between mediums?

Thankfully because I do my research, I find it reasonably easy to switch between different mediums. I guess it's also a matter of how I approach each project, and how I want to communicate the idea, from concept to execution. Is it going to be material, is it going to be a garment, a plate, a photograph? Regardless, I can carry the concept through those different mediums dependent on the research I've done. The mediums are just various tools that I can switch between to materialise each concept.

So do you have a preferred medium?

No. I'm heavily intrigued with concept execution. The concept determines precisely what's going to happen. As long as I have that concept, anything goes. I never restrict myself to one medium. For example, there was an artwork I made with charcoal and pencil, and to be honest, I wasn't really feeling it, so I took it to Photoshop. I then realised that Photoshop was a better medium to execute this idea with, even though I had initially started with charcoal. I wasn't going to let an idea die just because I wouldn't give an opportunity to another medium.

How big of a role does music play in art and design?

Oh man such a massive role. Just to give you a short scenario. Oliver Mtukudzi, a musical legend(rest his soul). Let's say he was to host a tour. There would definitely be a team of creatives that carried and translated his music from the: album cover, the tour merch, the stage design and what type of food will be served to the audience. The combinations are endless, but the music remains consistent and is intertwined with art.

How do you feel music influences you personally when creating?

As I previously explained, most of my works are very emotive and so with music that obviously encourages more emotion. Maybe I hear a specific song or a melody or a bridge. That moment could change an entire artwork. The imagery created in music influences the visuals I put out. 

As a young South African designer do you believe South Africa's creative scene Provide enough opportunities for young creatives

This is a very good question, and I'll try to keep it short, even though it's heavy. I do believe South Africa is experiencing a brain flight. Many creatives are seeking opportunities elsewhere. To be honest, I think of this situation in South Africa as a double-edged knife. On the one hand, there are not enough opportunities for young creatives.

On the other hand, you have that concentrated group of people who are doing so much to open up the industry for others. I do think the government can do a far better job in opening up opportunities for creatives in the masses. At the moment we aren't where we should be, but we're getting there. 

Now, for an interesting question: You can be the fly on the wall in the room of one designer or artist in history: Whose wall are you sticking on?

Alright, so you may be thinking "what is this guy saying?", but I'm not gonna lie to you, a big part of me wants to be in the room of Nicholas Tesla. Most don't consider him a designer, but I definitely do. His head was somewhere else. He was studying the works and history of Africa while at that time, we here in Africa were still busy trying to uncover who was doing what. To think of all the people he spoke to and shared his knowledge, it would be a great thing to witness that. The man had access to so much knowledge and information. DaVinci, the University of Alexandra, ancient Arabic notes? He had a wholesome archive of information.

When I first heard your answer, I wasn't really sure, but now that you've built on that a little bit more I definitely agree. Good choice.

Yeah there's so much we still don't know about his works, and I do believe there are some things that have not been appropriately interpreted or discovered. As much as I would like to name some philosopher or a thinker from here in Africa that was involved in his teachings, but don't know their names well or haven't researched them well enough to name them right now.

One last thing before we end this. Could you briefly explain the playlist you've created for our readers?

Seek inspiration. Create Station. I literally just press play then create stations on songs that resonated and find new songs like that.

Mak, it's always a pleasure speaking to you. I definitely learnt some things today, and I hope our readers feel the same.

The pleasure is all mine. Thank you!

Check out more of his work in the gallery or on his Instagram: @makmute

Also be sure to check out Mak's very own culinary blog, The Hungry Mute.

Struggling to get your work? Looking for some jams to enjoy while creating?

Take a listen to this weeks playlist curated by Mak himself:

"Press Plae"

All information sourced from a personal interview with Mako Mutezo (M. Mutezo, personal communication, 30 June 2020)