Mpumelelo Bhengu

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Cartoon & Humour

Character Design

Food & Drink

People

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Street Art & Mural

Vector

Man chilling on purple float in water with drink and hat

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Carhartt Artist Series T-shirt with yellow payphone design by Mpumelelo Bhengu

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Skateboarder doing a trick near skate shop and urban buildings

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Illustration of The Notorious B.I.G. wearing colorful jacket and gold chain by Mpumelelo Bhengu

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Urban streetwear scene at sneaker van by Mpumelelo Bhengu with diverse characters

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Cartoon of basketball players hanging out in urban neighborhood by Mpumelelo Bhengu

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Cartoon style workwear scene with characters and large letter C

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It's teeming with fun here!

Vibrance of Capetown captured in illustration.

Originally from Durban but now based in Cape Town, Mpumelelo spent years working as an art director after studying Visual Communications at the Vega School, a leading art college in South Africa. Now a full-time illustrator, he has attracted an impressive client list including global brands across a wide range of industries. Clients appreciate the detail and craftsmanship Mpumelelo brings to a brief, but more than that they love his sense of optimism. He’s a dreamer who LOVES to draw, and it shows via imagery inspired by graffiti, architecture, Hip Hop, cartoons, comics and computer games.

Approach

Concept sketches begin in Procreate, which are cleaned up to present to the client. When Mpumelelo gets the green light, he progresses the artwork in Photoshop and/or Illustrator, depending on which suits the execution. His MO also includes 20-minute power naps.

Style

Bright colours and bold line work lead to a style that is graphic, expressive and full of fun, and while these things catch the eye, what holds the attention is the level of detail and narrative in each image.

Languages

English

Impressions

Interview

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Interview

What led you to become an illustrator? Cartoons. Growing up, cartoons played a huge role, especially during my formative years. We grew up watching cartoons every chance we got. Comic books also. I would constantly trace some panels.Did you study illustration in college? I studied Visual Communication specializing in Graphic Design and Art Direction. Although I didn’t study Illustration, I was constantly surrounded by it and anything affiliated with illustration. I continued drawing as this was also something that was required as a student.Where did you grow up? I grew up in the coastal city of Durban, South Africa where I spent a lot of time as a teen going around the beachfront and around the city just dazed by street art and graffiti.Do you have a childhood memory relating to drawing that you hold dear? I drew a lot with my late younger brother as kids. My mom was a teacher and she would bring us pencils and drawing books every now and then. We drew and come up with the craziest stories for whatever we drew. It was a constant energy of imagination and fun.Where do you live now and what drew you there? I live in Cape Town, South Africa, now. It’s a great city for a creative and holds art in high regards with graffiti and galleries co existing in close proximity. You can basically jump on a bike or walk and you would absorb so much inspiration around the city. You are literary a street turn away from inspiration and adventure.Who or What is your biggest inspiration? Music, especially hip hop. It plays such a huge role in my process and also in regards to the visual articulation of my work. Graffiti, cartoons, video games and comic books also play a huge role when it comes to inspiration.If you could collaborate with another artist or creative of any genre, living or dead, who would it be?123Klan for sure. A street art graffiti crew founded by husband and wife Scien and Klor.If you were funded for a dream artist residency, where would you go, and what would you create?I would probably go to Amsterdam. I love the fact that it’s a city with so much regarding street culture and graffiti and just rich in diversity and culture. It’s such an amazing art city. Regarding what I would create…I absolutely have no idea but it would have something to do with street art or Graff scene in Amsterdam. I would try and build many great connections/friendships and let the creation happen organically. If you had to write your own epitaph in one sentence, what would it say?I gave it a shot, helped where I could and had fun.What’s your favourite way to spend a day off?Days off are spent mostly lounging about and catching up on my backlog. I have a constant backlog of comic books, books and video games that I am constantly trying to catch up on…one day. I’m very fortunate to live in a city where nature is around the corner. I use this time to go on trails, walk around the Promenade and soak up some fresh air. Also checking out any exhibitions or live events. I have made it a rule not to check any work related emails or work in general. Breaks are for inspiration and living.What's your most prized possession and why?I would say my figurines and my comic book stash. I’m fortunate enough to be able to buy some of the things that I wished I could when I was a kid…meaning I get to buy toys and comic books whenever I want...budget pending haha. The older I become the less attached I got with things though. These are prized to me more so from a sentimental value than anything else. They are part of my process and inspiration.What causes are you passionate about?Literacy. The ability to read and write is empowering.How do you separate your work life from your home life?As much as I work from my apartment, I maintain a strict 9-5 schedule/routine. I start my day around 8.30am and end it around 6pm, latest. I shut off anything work related afterwards. I also try not to work on weekends.Do you collect anything? I would say comic book/graphic novels, figurines are some of the most obvious ones…also everything is budget pending nowadays. My collection is entry level compared to what some of my friends have…it’s quite inspiring.What do you listen to when you work?It varies pending on the mood and also which phase of a project am I on. It can be anything from classical to hip hop…I also love jazz. Most of the time you will find me blasting some MF Doom in the studio and sometimes I would play some boards of Canada or anything similar.What is the first record you bought? Wu-Tang Forever, if my memory serves me right. It was definitely hip hop.Who is your art hero? Animator Genndy Tartakovsky. I always have a difficult time answering this question hahah. I have so many especially comic book artist and countless graffiti and illustrators.Who is your design hero? Saul Bass, Shepard Fairey/Obey, Charles Dawson, Thomas Miller and Susan Krane…off the top of my head.Who is your music hero?MF Doom hands down…I also think Bjork is sooo ahead. If you were not an illustrator, what would you be? I would probably be a chef.If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?I would love to explore more of Africa. That is in my bucket list.Have you any hidden talents? I do top notch voice impersonations…so they say.How would someone who knows you well describe you?My imagination knows no boundaries and also that I’m a very optimistic person. What is your go-to comfort food?Hot dogs and anything Krispy Kreme.What movie can you watch over and over?Pan’s Labyrinth, Star Wars, The empire Strikes Back, anything Studio Ghibli, especially Nausicaa of the Valley of the Winds.What is the last show you binged?I have this thing of re-watching some of the old cartoon network shows. Just binged Adventure Time for the billionth time. There are so many shows nowadays that I can get super overwhelmed.What is your favourite book?I love Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five. I love the genres of Sci-fi in general. I love Octavia Butler’s books also.What is your favourite quote?“Wherever you go, there you are.”Is there any random thing you consider yourself an expert on?I’m really good at Street Fighter and also random facts.What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given? Believe in your narrative. Trust the journey, wholeheartedly.Is there a work lesson you’ve had to learn the hard way?It’s okay to say “NO” to some briefs. Saying No is part of quality control and also taking care of yourself to avoid burnout. It can get overwhelming when you don’t say no and instead of having fun and growing with every project, you start feeling drained and not enjoying the work.What career advice would you give your younger self?Be patient, don’t force a thing. Trust the process. Draw from a place of fun and sincerity.

Favourites

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