Cinga Samson: Iyabanda Intsimbi / The metal is cold

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The FLAG Art Foundation presents a solo exhibition of new work by Cinga Samson, on view from October 16, 2021-January 15, 2022, on its 9th floor. Produced over the past year, Iyabanda Instimbi / The metal is cold comprises over twenty oil paintings, including a cycle of portraits and large-scale group scenes that the artist states, “explore the nature of violence: its laws, its flair, and its finality.” Favoring subtle menaces over obvious instances of brutality, Samson commands an elegant language that acknowledges the allure of a decaying, picked flower or the flesh of a butchered animal. Retaining some key elements of his practice—stern figures, lush settings, and somber moods—Iyabanda Intsimbi insinuates those daily threats that pass by almost unnoticed but impact so much in our lives.

The expanded text below by Johannesburg-based writer, essayist, and cultural critic Lwandile Fikeni delves into the conceptual underpinnings of Samson’s new body of work and includes excerpts from interviews with the artist in his Cape Town studio.