An emerging artist’s paintings are creating an interactive experience between the art and shoppers in a local Durban mall.
Musgrave Shopping Centre has collaborated with artist Jonathan Mazoue by exhibiting three of Mazoue’s paintings in the centre.
They are using augmented reality art and have opened up a new world in a physical space. Augmented Reality art has transformed the art world by blending the digital and physical realms into immersive experiences.
Portraits of inspirational women done by Mazoue each have a unique message to share. The oil paintings come to life through augmented reality, allowing people to experience their stories in an entirely new way.
Shoppers can immerse themselves in the art by scanning a QR code located near each painting and it will activate the augmented reality through their phone.
When they point it toward the pictures, each picture will have a unique animation and deliver a message to the viewer.
Mazoue’s paintings titled Joy, Hope and Serenity celebrate women and their strength and wisdom.
Serenity captures a young woman in a contemplative pose. Her message is to stop, breathe and take in the moment.
“I feel we all need this message daily. Life is so fast-paced that we forget that we control how we live it.
“Joy is an old lady embracing life. The bright colours in her outfit and the background portray her outlook and personality. This idea was actually inspired by a friend’s father who embraced life and unfortunately died recently because of cancer. He had so many people at his funeral and had very little regret on his passing. The message that Joy shares is to really not sweat things too much because they really aren’t that important as time passes. Just enjoy the ride.
“Hope is a young African woman wearing traditional attire. Hope, to me, represents the young people who can see the potential of our beautiful country and a brighter future. I think a lot of people have lost hope since Covid and other challenges we have faced over the years. I feel there is a renewed energy surrounding us looking forward. Hope’s message is to be present, appreciate what you have and look forward to a brighter time,” said Mazoue.
He said he thought using three women from different backgrounds would reach a broader audience because each painting speaks to someone.
Mazoue, 37, from Hillcrest, said he loved doing portrait paintings because a face could resonate with the viewer.
“It is easy to convey a message of positivity through something people relate to. Most of my portraits are characterised by bright colours and I hope they help brighten people’s moods,” said Mazoue.
On a whim, the lawyer decided to try art.
“I enrolled for an online portrait painting workshop in 2023 and thought it would be a good laugh, but I found I really enjoyed it. In March this year I took my daughter for an art class and decided to sign up. I have really found a passion for art. My art teacher, Dee Wade, has pushed me to try new techniques with each of my paintings and helped me to grow as an artist.
“I also want to show people that anyone is capable of achieving whatever they set their minds to. The key is to start and consistently work at it. I started art with absolutely no idea of what I was doing but I wanted to challenge myself,” said Mazoue.
“I think what is great about art is there really are no limitations for what you can do, so it is quite liberating coming from a very rigid profession. I also value the connections with people you can make in art where creativity and sharing are key to engagements,” said Mazoue.
He said through his TikTok profile, where he made daily videos of his painting of Joy, Broll Property national marketing manager Donald Mclellan contacted him and said he really liked the progress.
“As a joke I suggested the centre did an installation with my work. He told me he needed three paintings for an installation and that’s how Serenity and Hope were created.”
To incorporate augmented reality he recruited augmented reality consultant Paul Loots to bring the vision to life.
Mclellan said they were thrilled to partner with Mazoue and showcase his incredible work at Musgrave Centre.
“We are always striving to improve the customer experience and we consider the addition of art to our shopping centre part of this improvement. It adds aesthetic appeal to the space and inspires positive conversations.
“This initiative not only highlights the inspiring stories of remarkable women but also introduces an innovative augmented reality experience for our shoppers. The reaction to the actual artwork has been really positive; however, shoppers and the public are still not sure how to engage with the art through the augmented reality experience. This is something unique and inspiring so I hope they do try it out,” he said.
Mclellan said they hoped this collaboration would serve as a catalyst for future artists to feature their work at their centre.
“We have already begun to look for other areas in the mall that we can convert. My hope is for it to eventually spread throughout the centre,” said Mclellan.