KHAYA MONTJANE
Participant

Khaya Montjane is a fine artist, a writer, filmmaker, animator, illustrator and photographer. He has participated in the Young Patriots program organized by The National Youth Service and the Department of Sport Arts and Culture in 2019. As a filmmaker and Director he screened his films in the Bioscope Ya Rena Film Festival organized by Lady Mash production in 2021. Montjane has also worked with the Limpopo Home Cinema under Dambuwo TV in 2022 as a camera operator and focus puller. He currently works as a trainee data analyst and archivist at the Polokwane Art Museum.
Religion and Spirituality
This body of work explores my own journey through Christianity and the traditional beliefs I lean toward. It also examines the inconsistencies one encounters in both the creative process and one’s identity as a contemporary African man. The work also acknowledges my belief in God’s existence in all facets of my life, whether they stem from Christian or African traditions, and it acknowledges the conflicts I encounter while questioning and attempting to understand my religious worldview. My strategy aims to highlight the convergence that resulted from my development both inside and outside the church. It also demonstrates the connections I formed with the prophets, priests, scholars, and healers who helped mold my perspective on spirituality and religion. This work is also concerned with how religion has been molded to fit us and how we have incorporated Christian practices into more traditional and conventional forms of worship and interaction with the supernatural. The text recognizes the role that traditional African beliefs and practices played in this fusion, which led to the development of a distinctive Christian worldview that is in line with the outlook of the African people. The images also explore what it means to be African and Christian in contemporary society and how the two are frequently used separately to help people find their place in the realm of spirituality and faith.