Zimbabwe Hip Hop Awards nomination was long overdue: Muralist Spinx Spinx

Mbulelo Mpofu, Showbiz Reporter

NOTORIETY and the hip-hop genre seem to be inseparable and one fellow who has pushed that narrative is muralist and street art guru, Leeroy “Spinx” Brittain who feels his maiden nomination for a Zim Hip Hop Awards gong was long overdue.

Spinx, who is based in Bulawayo is set to battle it out for the coveted Visual Arts gong with Billie, Kreota, CaliGraph and Post Studio Art Collective.

Infamous for his Mbuya Nehanda-King Lobengula “unity piece” mural earlier this year, Spinx thinks people have been sleeping on his creative talent.

“I feel like this nomination is long overdue because we’ve been doing this (street art) for the past two decades. Other countries started recognising street art at the turn of the millennium and I feel like we slept on that,” he said.

The artist however believes that this nomination will inspire a breed of new artists.

“They’ll finally realise that one can make a living out of street art. My nomination also shows growth for the sector as I inspired a lot of people into it.”

Street art or graffiti as one would know it has been used by rebel elements, especially followers of the hip-hop genre to communicate issues and beautify spaces.

Spinx sees himself as a pioneer and his trajectory in street art and graffiti saw him conduct workshops for the Shoko Festival and Harare International Festival of the Arts back in the day, inspiring the likes of CaliGraph in the process. Together with CaliGraph, Spinx drew the late Cal Vin’s mural in Luveve 5’s KoMpofu shops.

The self-proclaimed “rebel for a cause” has been busy with a new 3D piece for Shisha Backroom Lounge in Bradfield and he feels like his work is growing.

3D Creations made by Spinx

“I just used to be a typical street artist who would paint, but now, I mould and then paint on top to create a more 3D feel. All of that shows growth on my part as I try to go beyond what people expect when they think about street art.

“Street art goes beyond spraying with a can,” he said.
Spinx is on the cusp of curating the first street art exhibition dubbed, “The Death of Africa?” which will be addressing issues to do with skin bleaching, xenophobia, substance abuse and other topical issues. The exhibition is expected to start at end of the year. – @eMKlass_49

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