N'lamwai Luntha Chithambo
N’lamwai Luntha Chithambo was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1997 to Malawian parents. In 2019 Chithambo completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Rhodes University with distinction in Fine Art Practice and in 2023 he completed a Master of Fine Art degree also at Rhodes University. During the period of his undergraduate and postgraduate studies he twice featured in the Thami Mnyele Fine Arts Awards Top 100 Exhibition (2019, 2022) as well as displayed his work at the National Arts Festival in Makhanda (2016, 2019, 2023) and in 2023 two of his paintings were selected for the Sasol New Signatures Finalist Exhibition at Pretoria Art Museum.
Chithambo has also twice featured in group exhibitions hosted by BAG Factory Artist Studios (2023, 2024) in Johannesburg and has featured in a group exhibition hosted by Origin Art Gallery (2024) also in Johannesburg. In 2025 Chithambo hosted his debut solo exhibition titled “Seeking” at the KZNSA Gallery in Durban, Kwa Zulu Natal.
In 2024 he founded Luntha Art Studios, an oil painting and comic book centric venture which he hopes to develop into a thriving creative business in the future. Chithambo currently resides in Johannesburg where he is pursuing his passion for the arts.
Working predominantly in the medium of oil paint, Chithambo’s artistic interests lie in the day-to-day challenges that affect the consciousness, consciences, and identities of African individuals, particularly, but not limited to, black African youths. Many of these complexities are observed through the autobiographical lens of his perceived identity as a black Scotland-born, South African raised, Malawi national and therefore he has a growing interest in the topics of nationality and migration.
Chithambo’s work largely involves an exploration and combination of his belief in God, portraiture, and Afrocentric comic books, often molded into a storytelling format. By using the method of storytelling, he aims to journey with his paintings. Rather than settle on a fixed idea, Chithambo enjoys exploring introspective topics through several paintings which typically but need not always relate to one another. Since completing a Master of Fine Art degree, Chithambo has ventured into the world of digital art. His business, Luntha Art Studios, aims to blend his field of expertise, oil painting, with his ever evolving passion for digital art and comic books to create unique bodies of work for everyone to enjoy.
Artist Statement
Follow N'lamwai Chithambo to see his full portfolio and artist journey:
Seeking
Exhibited at the KZNSA Gallery in Durban (2025), this body of work takes a look at my holistic artistic approach in recent years. The artworks bring together six visual elements that have become familiar iconography in my paintings and that are used to express inner contemplations. These are hands, wings, light shining through clouds, portraiture, figures, and the starry night. As such, various sub-topics pop up in the exhibition but perhaps the common thread within my work is the storytelling element.
From a young age I have always been inclined to storytelling. From avidly collecting book after book of the local Supa Strikas comic book franchise to creating my own stapled, crayon and Khoki pen comics, my childhood years were filled with imagination and seeking after the imaginary. It is no surprise then that my work frequently makes use of allegories. From perceptions of self to perceptions of faith, each painting acts as a story within itself with the aim of uncovering internal complexities and matters of the heart.
“Seeking” is a fitting starting point as it utilizes most of the afore mentioned iconography to foretell what the exhibition aims to achieve: a contemplative exploration of self-developed imaginaries. The term “imaginary”, as used by Ute Fendler in her article “Animating the Future: Storytelling and Super Heroes in Africa” (2022), denotes an imaginary world or setting.
The three paintings that make up the theme of an inner world which are “Adorned Gathering”, “Monarch”, and “Rivers of Vitiligo” aim to express that there is no small or insignificant life. When one walks past another on the street each passes by a creation so complex that there is no complete understanding of that complexity. The Bible says, “...Also He has put eternity in their [human beings] hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end” (New King James Version, 1982: Ecclesiastes 3: 11). Considering this, it may be fitting to regard every human being as a microcosm within themselves.
Portfolio
Afro-Alien
The “Afro-Alien” project is an on-going exploration of migration and belonging that began during my undergrad years at university. Consisting of several bodies of work across different mediums, the project as a whole delves into the livelihoods of transnational African migrants in a South African context but mainly focuses on the complexities found in the identities of first generation foreign African nationals living in South Africa. The term “Afro-Alien” is a descriptive title given to foreign African nationals living in South Africa and illudes to a sense of unbelonging.
The desired output for this large-scale project consists of exhibitions of original oil paintings, published comic books, other written media such as blogs and reviews, interviews in the form of podcasts, a documentary series, and potentially fashion. I believe this work to be a worthwhile endeavour, not only because of the personal satisfaction of voicing my inner existential struggles as an Afro-Alien but also because this project seeks to better the society in which I live by tackling the particular social ill of xenophobia.
Artist Resume
Education
2023 Master of Fine Arts, Rhodes University.
2019 Bachelor of Fine Arts, Rhodes University, with distinction in Fine Art Practice.
Solo exhibitions
2025 Seeking, KZNSA Gallery, Durban.
Group Exhibitions
2024 Nostalgia and Place, Origin Art Gallery, Johannesburg.
2024 What is this Place? Notions on Site, Bag Factory Artists’ Studios, Johannesburg.
2023 Summer Salon Fundraiser, Bag Factory Artists’ Studios, Johannesburg.
2023 Sasol New Signatures, Pretoria Art Museum.
2022 Thami Mnyele Fine Arts Awards Top 100.
2019 Thami Mnyele Fine Arts Awards Top 100.
2019 40StonesInTheWall, National Arts Festival, Makhanda.
2016 40StonesInTheWall, National Arts Festival, Makhanda.
Residencies
2026 Occupy the Gallery Residency, Johannesburg.
Professional Experience
2019–present Freelance Artist. Commissioned drawings, paintings and digital artworks for private and corporate clients.
2024 Children’s book illustrator, Shuter & Shooter Publishers.
2018–19 Gallery Assistant, National Arts Festival.
Awards
2025 Young Artists Project, KZNSA Gallery.
2024 Top-100 Finalist, BASA Debut Programme.
2023 Finalist, Sasol New Signatures Visual Arts Competition.
2022 Finalist, Thami Mnyele Fine Arts Award.
2018 Finalist, Thami Mnyele Fine Arts Awards.