'Slaying Goliath' created artwork in memory of late rapper AKA that sold out at a pop-up store at Mall of Africa over the weekend.
They say you should never meet your idols because they're not who you imagined them to be, but for illustrator David 'Slaying Goliath' Shabalala, that wasn't the case when he first met AKA.
“For me, it was a great experience. About 20 minutes into the performance, he seemed tired but calm. He took a selfie with me and looked at my work. I said I was a fan,” Shabalala said. citizen.
Tshabalala spoke. citizen Days after his artwork created in memory of AKA sold out at the Mall of Africa pop-up store, it was installed in memory of AKA as it was his birthday.
Honor AKA
A limited edition artwork, the late rapper's portrait is an illustration he drew last year and consists of the titles of his favorite AKA songs. He created this piece after AKA was murdered in Durban.
“I've never done it for commercial gain. It's something I normally do from a social commentary perspective and I wanted to pay homage to AKA,” Shabalala said. “It meant a lot that my family approached me.”
Tshabalala made 21 pieces, which were sold for R7,000 each. “Proceeds will be donated to the AKA Foundation. The 21 one-off items keep AKA in line with her being a premium type of person.”
10% of the proceeds will go to the foundation and the rest to Tshabalala.
“It's great that they did that.” [Forbes family] It reminded me of the artist. ” Tshabalala confirmed that he is in talks with the Forbes family about producing more work due to demand. “It's not official yet, but we're talking about further initiatives.”
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David consistently kills people.
Tshabalala 10 years ago creative union reality show Vuz. The designer and illustrator has since risen to fame, collaborating with major brands and contributing to the country's social commentary.
I have been honing it for over ten years. I may not be the loudest voice here, but my work speaks volumes, and therein lies the beauty of design in the digital age: my work packaged as polarizing political expression. The ability to reach the masses is dormant. pic.twitter.com/VO8Ydiqril
— David Shabalala (@SlayingGoliath) January 29, 2024
“It's been 10 years since we really exploded. There's a saying that it takes 10 years to become an overnight success. There's so much work going on in the background. There's so much work going on in the background, people who are better at it than I am, but on social media. And some people are not as consistent and aggressive as I am,” Tshabalala said.
He recently shared a list of things he wanted to accomplish that he wrote down about 10 years ago and that he accomplished all but one of the things he wrote down.
Moodboard created in 2017. All the blocks were empty, but Jonga, he filled my cup to the brim. I hope your dreams come true! pic.twitter.com/MU1pxwK1op
— David Shabalala (@SlayingGoliath) January 12, 2024
“I'm very proud of it. Vision boards were trending last year, and that's how I did it. When I'm working, I see myself actually checking off these boxes. You never know it’s there.”
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there is a demand
Just as Rasta artwork is a big part of celebrity funerals and memorial services, so too is Shabalala's voice when it comes to social commentary on social media.
In 2022, he won the Social Commentary Award at the DStv Content Creator Awards. He was nominated in the same category last year for an illustration he drew in honor of AKA, but did not win.
“I get a lot of DMs from people. People give me ideas to create artwork about specific social issues in the country. is asking if you are going to do anything.”
He said he is working with a brand on a big campaign, but he can't talk about it yet.
“I can't give too many details, but it's scheduled to go on sale in February. Brands approach me every time for cooperation, but it looks like the situation will improve from June onwards.''
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