I have developed this unique concept, Urban Way, to share the deversity of my culture with the rest of the World. During my performances, accompanied by live music, I paint some part of my body, face and hands as expression of Tolerance.

I came into contact with the subject at a very early age, and the artistic process gives me this force of conviction, this feeling of invincibility and the inner peace I seek. I’m like the pages of an open book blown by the winds of liberty. But I do not seek to make sense of my art because, to me, art is like life: if we look closely there is no sense, just emotion. That is what I wish to convey. Being a person who has suffered intolerance and persecution, I would have liked to stop being a victim and live like anyone else. But the past reminds me of who I am: an outsider. That is why my philosophy of including certain parts of my body in my art – namely my hands and face – to convey my emotions is for me therapeutic.

On one hand I draw a series of points, where each point symbolizes subjects, people in society. On the second hand I paint perpendicular and the circular lines, which symbolize the magnetism, vibrations, and energies of the world. It is also an act of protest, the rebellion of a man who cannot return home. This endeavour helps me cope with my current status as a man and a citizen of urban worlds, wandering around the globe. Music plays an important role in this work, especially when I’m performing. Because music in my work reflects the universal language of all cultures.

Welcome to the Urban Way
Issa Nyaphaga

• Performance