Breaking the Norm

The artist interrogates the subject of breaking societal norms and expectations through working with black and blue figures, and hair as a symbol of identity, resistance and cultural pride.

ARTS | DOMINIC MUWANGUZI | When you meet Eric Joe Gayi, you will be drawn to his hair rolled into small dreadlocks, the rings he wears on his fingers, and that wilful smile that leaves you thinking, “He’s such a bold young man.” When he says he’s an artist, you will not be surprised, and his art will instantly grip your attention because it is unapologetically bold with visual metaphors of naked human figures that are a representation of his personal experiences and immediate surroundings.  Breaking the norm, his debut solo show echoes this theme of defying social constructs that apparently define individuals’ identity and sometimes cultural heritage.  The artist’s choice of human hair as a form of imagery that dominates his drawings is a powerful tool that ignites conversations around this subject of breaking norms, especially in a conservative environment within which the exhibition is situated. Similarly, the biro pens he uses to create his drawings reflect both the audacity and innovative approach to his artmaking that is typical of both an artist and an individual who deeply desires to break away from mainstream conventions.

The artist’s relationship with hair is both personal and political. As a young man, he grew up seeing his father with an Afro hairstyle that he has incidentally kept until this day. To his father, it may have been a form of personal identity or fashion statement, but for the artist, the reverence for his father’s hair later became a symbol of resistance and cultural pride. In the artwork, Outcast rejected, the artist draws a figure in a posture that is familiar to someone who has fallen down, and they’re shielding their face tactfully with their elbow as if signaling they’ve been humiliated by the act of falling. This painting is a representation of the artist’s personal story of rejection from mainstream society because of his hairstyle.

“I had a job opportunity some years back, but I was rejected solely because of my dreadlocks,” says the artist in a tone that reveals a tinge of anguish. This experience of rejection, though accompanied by verbal insults and social alienation, ironically later became a spark for this body of work. As such, the artist’s technique of creating black and blue figures—a figurative expression of the divided self—suggests the duality in how people with dreadlocks or Afros are perceived and treated depending on the environment they occupy. The figures in black symbolize those people who confidently choose to wear their hair as dreadlocks or Afros but receive a backlash in the form of rejection and judgment from society. On the other hand, the figures in blue represent those who conform to societal norms and decide to trim, straighten, or cut their hair in pursuit of acceptance and opportunity.

Through the inclusion of honeycomb textures in the black, the artist further draws the attention of the viewer to the work as a ploy to prompt deeper interpretation and meaning of the subject. The honeycomb is synonymous with bees and is used to store honey and is also used as a habitat for bees to nurture their young ones. In the context of this body of work, the artist appropriates the identity of the comb to underscore feelings of discomfort, disgust, and irritation that are stimulated in the individual when they’re rejected because of their hair, just like is the case with the presence of bees in a particular space. Here, the black figures’ faces are depicted surrealistically, embedded with honeycomb textures to echo the discomfort that comes with breaking the norms. However, some figures in blue have subtle features of the imagery to illustrate the silent discomfort that comes with conforming to societal expectations in search of acceptance. The painting that has a figure sitting on a chair with legs crossed and reading a newspaper conjures an image of someone who has conformed to society’s expectation and now holds a formal job—illustrated by the formal footwear and sitting cross-legged, a posture that is typical of the elite—but is still quietly resisting the notion of being enslaved by the norms of mainstream society.

Besides its expression of such remarkable artistry, the exhibition Breaking the Norm provides a platform to reflect on the contribution made by art initiatives on the African continent. This exhibition is a product of a residence program run by the ABSA L’Atelier Art Competition that the artist won in 2023. In this, the young artist did not only benefit as an individual but also became an ambassador of hope and opportunities to hundreds of his contemporaries across the continent. The fact that he was able to excel in this competition gives hope to other artists, regardless of their social and academic background, that they too can shine in their careers. Nonetheless, such excellence requires hard work, consistency, and commitment, as expressed in the work on showcase.

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The exhibition is open at the Naguru Summit Residences and is curated by Dr. Paul Bayliss, Absa’s Senior Specialist Art Curator. Eric Joe Gayi is represented by Amasaka Art Gallery.