gay pride /xhosa initiation

'Basically I'm dealing with homosexuality and being African' says Nicholas.

Johannesburg based visual artist Batandwa says that there are a lot of similarities between gay pride and Xhosa initiation. ''They are both about sexuality.' Profile by Jabulani Dube, pictures by Zanele Muholi.

You could certainly see and feel that his works gives him a deal of pleasure and assurance. If you can't tell that Batandwa Nicholas Hlobo is a born artist, definitely there is something wrong with you. Batandwa appears to be the shy guy kind of guy. He talks with the smile and charm that one would kill to share and die to have.

He explains where he gets his inspiration from: "My work, the ideas that I come up with, what ever I've got, I think is what inspires me". As he explains you can see that this young man has his mind set on what he does best. He adds: "The feed back that I get from people who have seen my work inspires me as well."

A hovering display of art that takes one from mere reality to the world of arts going beyond imagination. That is the kind of attraction and feeling that one gets, the moment one steps into Batandwa's shared flat. A beautiful paint of a Xhosa woman smoking a traditional pipe called umbheka phesheya. And there is much more that makes one's mind overflow when viewing Batandwa's works. Batandwa is not embarrassed to mention his subject matter in the world of his work - art. " Basically I'm dealing with homosexuality and being African", he says.

I, privately, wonder in my mind, where this is leading. Attentively I listen: "Being a Xhosa man… What does it mean to me? What being a man means to me and what my sexuality means to my culture?'.

Batandwa, 26 grew up in the former 'homeland' of Transkei and he is not ashamed of that. At a very young age, he knew he had some art genes in his blood. Now he draws, designs, paints and more.

He studies at Wits Technikon doing his (BTech.) 4th year in Fine Arts.

He talks about Gay and Lesbian Pride and Xhosa initiation, the boys' graduation to menhood. "Look there are similarities", he proclaims. He speaks with a sharp, cynical intelligence. "Ja, there are similarities because initiation, has pride in it. When a boy becomes a man there is pride in that, getting accepted in the society and being someone amongst people. So it is the same with Gay and Lesbian Pride - they are both about sexuality. With Gay Pride "you motivate yourself, other people, raise awareness in the society, so that they know we have same rights…"

There is a notion that homosexuality is not an African thing. Before he responds Batandwa blushes. "Well, people say that it's not an African thing. I would say it's not only Africans who have a problem with homosexuality. Even an English man would say it's not an English thing". Point taken but where does this take or leave us? "It's not about just African people, it just feels that it's not about race. It's about sex," Batandwa reacts.

This guy has more to share than his art works and the evidence of his integrity shows in the way he answers. He willingly shares the way he sees the earth and its people. "Heterosexuals have fear,
fear of the unknown. There are always men and women. Women have been looked at as inferior but with gay men there is a problem, suggests Batandwa.

The way he acts tells more and you could not fail to notice that he is so gay in his world of arts. He carries on: "And now with gay men, it's like, if you are gay, you are failing men. "Because, he says," you are emasculating men 'cause you are no longer fully, fledged man". He quickly points out though
"I don't think it's really about being African, it can still be in any other nation".

So what is this 'unknown' that, heterosexuals are frightened of? "Gay men are 'moving' something that heterosexual men have and that they are proud of - being a man." He accepts that he is who and what he is and holds no apology for that. 'I don't have to explain myself to any one, I'm not pleasing anyone. It's just up to them to take me as I am or better still leave me," Batandwa adds defensively: "I won't go around and try to make people understand. I am not a politician."

He admits that he would tell those who are close to him "I am gay and a faggot". But it's up to them, he emphasises, to understand him. "If they don't love me, it's fine. They don't have to love me and they don't have to understand me. Because we are different and will always be different." The future looks so bright for Batandwa because he has no illusions and knows he has to work hard to achieve in life.