SNS25EditAmbient Mix
[The desire to become one, (2025)], Thomas Masingi’s photographic series that won a Merit award for this year’s edition of the SASOL New Signatures Visual Arts Competition, may not have seen light of the day should he not have been encouraged by Polokwane Art Museum’s chief curator Mr. Amos Letswalo and those close to him to enter this year’s edition of the national art competition. Originally from Mokopane, Limpopo, though based in Tshwane, after this encouragement to enter the competition, for this year he entered the competition in Polokwane.
As it emerges in the pod, Masingi has entered the art competition four times.1 He first entered the art competition in 2019, with printmaking and video installation. From 2023 onwards he chose to enter the competition with photography as he felt the medium was underrated. His 2025 attempt using photography, saw him reeling with disappointment when his work did not make the final cut. He accepted the metaphorical slant of his artist statement might have compromised his entry. Following the artist feedback session of the art competition for 2025 he thought a sabbatical from the art competition will do him good until Mr. Letswalo’s encouragement to enter the art competition again during the entry season of 2026. The present pod covers the events leading to his entry of this competition this year, his general aim as an artist and curator as well as the conception and execution of The desire to become one, (2025) series.
– mmutleak.
ARTIST’S STATEMENT [Shadow man] series revolves around the merging of archetypes of the Self and Shadow, deeply rooted in Jungian Psychology. After undergoing a process of unmasking, thus letting go of the need to maintain a certain persona, Shadow Man recognises the need to become a fully rounded human being, and this requires him to confront his darker side. Living with post-traumatic stress disorder, he would often project his insecurities onto other people and this stems from his inability to come to terms with the fact he is also flawed. He is too quick to notice traits that he dislikes in others, oblivious to the fact that these are traits he possesses as well but fails to see them as he is caught up in the overly rehearsed persona, he gives out to the world. To attain personal growth, Shadow Man must integrate aspects of his personality that he often keeps concealed from the public. He needs to fall in love with the unseen, the cracks within and the not-so-beautiful aspects of himself because it is only when his shadow merges with the self, his light will never be dimmed again. This is often referred to as “shadow work”. In Sepedi, the shadow can refer to either moriti (shadow or shade) or seriti (dignity/aura). I argue that a man who does not integrate his shadow aspects into the self is likely throw shade at others who have done the inner work and therefore stands to lose his dignity. The Desire to Become One Triptych In The desire to become one triptych, I attempt to speak about the negotiation of space between the Self and the Shadow. This is a process when Shadow Man is finally coming to terms with parts of himself that he used to shun, thus understanding that he cannot be his true self with these them.
26 October
© Mmutle Arthur Kgokong, 2026
To reference this audio documentation, please cite:
Kgokong, M.A. 2026. Intraparadox, Interview with Thomas Masingi. Shadow self. 10 Sep 2026. SNS25EditAmbient Mix. Mmutleak.com-Intraparadox.
Reference credits
List of figures
- Thomas Masingi. The desire to become one series (i), 2025. Digital photography on true ivory. 47,5 cm x 65 cm.
- Thomas Masingi. The desire to become one series (ii), 2025. Digital photography on true ivory. 47,5 cm x 65 cm.
- Thomas Masingi. The desire to become one series (iii), 2025. Digital photography on true ivory. 47,5 cm x 65 cm.
Afterwords
* Original Image of Thomas Masingi and artwork have been used with the courtesy of SASOL New Signatures Visual Arts Competition.
+Artist’s statement extract supplied by SASOL New Signatures Visual Arts Competition.
<> I remain grateful to Thomas Masingi for agreeing to sit with me for this interview. Le ka moso.
[] As always, I am appreciative of SASOL Art Collection curator Cate Terblanche and Marina Carlow of Marina Smithers PR for coordinating the interviews with the artists for this year’s edition of SASOL New Signatures Visual Arts Competition.
Notes
- Thomas Masingi has been featured before on Intraparadox. You may refer to Intraparadox, Interview with Thomas Masingi. Shadows and Mirrors. Pretoria Art Museum. 17 September 2025 and Intraparadox, Interview with Thomas Masingi. Monna Ke Nku. The Viewing Room, Brooklyn Circle. 02 May 2025 to experience my earlier interviews with him. ↩︎
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