artist statement

(words)

My name is Makambe and I am many things.
But the thing I am the very most is an artist.

And my intention is to tell the truth.

I will fail at this often.
I will avoid the truth more often than I’d like to admit.

I will get scared of seemingly scary things and people, and then work endlessly to convince myself that the truth is not in fact the truth, but rather – a thing my silly and foolish and frustrating mind has just made up – and I will use every cell in my body to try to will the real truth not to be the truth.

I will fail at this too.
This will hurt in some shape or form.
I will rise and remind myself that the truth is true and that it needs to be embraced.

I will do my best to share it with you, so that I may remind you too.

I will understand that some of you will be grateful for the reminder.
I will understand that some of you will not.
I will lean on many of you often, when I am the one who needs reminding.
I will understand that this is all a part of the work.

I will feel confident and reach new heights.
I will be rewarded.
I will get comfortable.
I will enjoy this very much even though sometimes I will be very good at pretending I don’t.

Then it will happen again.

A truth will call out to me, and ask me to birth it, and I will know that means.

I will know that it means that I will have to risk.
I will have to dig into myself to find the words or colours or notes to do the thing again – to tell the truth.
I will avoid doing this until I no longer can.

It will not look like this to you on the outside.

You will think I am brazen and brave and quick.

You will think I am fast.

I will know I am slow, and I will think often about how I always avoid doing it until I no longer can.

Then I’ll do it.

I will reach into myself so deeply that I might even get mad at myself for doing it, but a small big voice in my head will tell me that this is someway, somehow for the greater good.

I will laugh at that voice, then with it.

I will do my best to tell you the truth that I fished out from deep inside my own guts.

It will be imperfect.
Sometimes I will hit it on the head at the same time you are ready to receive it.
Sometimes you will feel like I’ve missed.

My name is Makambe and my intention as an artist is not to always hit it on the head.

My intention as an artist is to understand that this never-ending cycle,

The one my soul chose to choose

…is not just what I am here to do, but here to share.

If You'd Like To See My Artist Statement Expressed Through My Body, Click Here.