Based in Lusaka, contemporary visual artist Erica Kapaya is making waves in the Zambian art scene with her emotionally captivating abstract works. A self-taught artist, Erica’s journey is one of resilience, creativity, and a deep commitment to self-expression.
Born in 1998 in Kabwe, Zambia, Erica discovered her passion for art at the tender age of seven. Using natural pigments from flowers, she began creating watercolors, an early indication of her innate creativity. However, growing up in a strict religious household posed challenges for her artistic expression. “I found it difficult to form deep connections and be open with others due to the constraints of my upbringing,” she reflects. Despite these hurdles, art became her refuge—a means of personal growth and self-discovery.
Erica’s work is characterized by large, representational figures often depicted as silhouettes against vibrant backgrounds. Using acrylic paints and plaster on canvas and cloth, her paintings explore the intricate human experience. “I aim to capture the multifaceted nature of humanity—beautiful yet flawed,” she explains. Her art blurs the lines between reality and imagination, inviting viewers to engage with their own emotions and thoughts.
Her recent solo exhibition, “As We Are,” held at the Alliance Française de Lusaka in May 2024, marked a significant milestone in her career. The exhibition showcased her artistic vision and served as a platform for deeper conversations about identity and community. The work ranges from 30cm x 30cm to 125cm x 175cm and is priced between $100 and $1,000 studio price.
In addition to her artistic practice, Erica is dedicated to teaching and empowering others. She has served as a part-time art teacher at various schools, sharing her knowledge and passion with aspiring artists. “Teaching allows me to grow as an artist while helping others develop their skills,” she notes. Erica also organizes workshops at Chaminuka, where she inspires participants to explore their creativity and express themselves.
Her commitment to social issues is further exemplified through her work with underprivileged youth, including young girls living with HIV, using art as a medium for self-expression and healing. “I believe in the transformative power of art to foster better understanding and compassion among people,” she says as she shares more with Tewasart Africa in a call interview.
TAA: Congratulations on your first solo ‘As We Are’, what was it about and how was the reception?
EK: Most people in the audience found the works so intense. Some connected to the work deeply and expressed how they saw themselves in the work. It was like a dream with over four hundred people showing up during the show, which was so humbling. I valued the one-on-one interaction with the audience and their connection with the art. I offered the audience a walkabout and explained each piece and I got to listen to everyone who attended the walkabout’s opinion.
One person in the audience almost broke down expressing her struggle in expressing her deeper emotions and added how the works and the exhibition made her feel confident in line with the importance of vulnerability. This feedback was so special and I believe the show had an impact.
‘As We Are’ focused mostly on self-discovery, the importance of vulnerability, and interdependence on a personal level. The relationship I have with myself is the most important and I believe that for everyone else because how I choose to perceive the world affects how I see the world, and how I see the world designs how I treat everything around me including the people and the relationships I have.
On the importance of vulnerability, I believe when we open up ourselves to ourselves, we connect to the world in that sense, to see what’s naturally drawn to us. My main focus was the work to highlight the importance of cultivating a relationship with ourselves and still being able to be dependant on others, fostering genuine connections, and being able to engage with people on a deeper and emotional level to understand ourselves more.
TAA: Describe your work and creative process.
EK: My work is a form of self-expression, in a sense it’s almost an extension of myself. I use my work to express emotions I can’t express in words and share certain moments or stories that have impacted me. I begin by creating the foundations, and then images start to come up depending on how much I’ve connected to the foundation. Usually, I’m lost in the process; it is almost meditative. I’m very intentional with the choice of colour and the foundation but the images come naturally as my painting evolves.
In general, my process is intuitive, from creating foundations to figures, I like to challenge myself. As I paint and evolve in my practice. I begin with colour studies using different tones, on other days I do sketches, it depends. Most times I begin with the foundation. I like to sketch more to see what other forms my figures can take, and what other subjects I can incorporate into my figures. As my foundations form I don’t like to repeat the same subjects. With more sketches to work with, I can add some of these figures to my foundations.
TAA: What’s your studio routine like?
EK: My studio routine varies but what’s constant is I usually start by spreading the paints out, picking what colors I want to use on that particular day, then I check in with myself to see how I’m feeling. Sometimes the process just starts but I prefer giving myself time, sitting with myself, and then picking my palette, and then I start working. I usually always have a bucket of water with me to wash my hands because I spread out my foundations with my fingers. On a lighter note, I wash my hands more than I wash my paint brushes haha. Later during the day, I keep up with other artists’ work, and update and apply for residencies.
TAA: Your palette is quite bold and bright. How would you describe your choice of colour, does it depend on your mood?
EK: Naturally, I’m drawn to bright colours, I love their essence, they change my mood and shape my thoughts. For instance, when I’m having a terrible day, and I decide to take a walk to clear my mind and for example, I come across a pretty bright flower, it automatically changes my mood and makes me feel so alive and reminds me of how good life is. Such a simple scene brings so much life to me.
On a good studio day when I feel connected, I pick colours based on how I’m feeling. I like exploring different expansions of each colour I pick. Red shows up a lot in most of my paintings, although I usually don’t work with plain red, I like mixing it with orange, sometimes moving its emotion and adding some pink.
For instance, with Green, I’ll tone it down to colours that complement it like yellow, sometimes black, and some dark blue. I also like blue sometimes, but it feels gloomy for me and I contrast it with other colours so that the painting doesn’t feel too sad. I like to explore or expand the bold colours I use and at the same time ensure they feel connected to each other in a way.
I like to add a representation of the sun, I use yellow to express that. I have these focal points in my work with yellow in the centre, to define my figures, and show light behind dark figures. I try to give balance to each painting. This element of my work brings out the playful side of me, my inner child that got me into trouble haha, that I don’t want to lose.
When I’m working on my foundations the canvas feels like a playground for me, I feel like a child in those moments. My intention is for my work to be joyful, and playful, but still at the same time have depth that is why I feel drawn to add figures that add the balance and duality that has both light and darkness. Despite what emotional state the viewer is in they can still feel seen through my work.
TAA: I like the idea of using natural pigments from flowers to create watercolors during your childhood, how was your upbringing and how did it shape your career?
EK: I didn’t realize at the time, but for me, it was just play. I pounded green leaves mixed with some water and used it as paint on paper. I also used little flower petals. I enjoyed using the bright centre part of the yellow flowers as well to create the impression of the sun in some of the small landscapes. I still employ these techniques, even in a previous series, where I had a piece titled Conversations under the Sun. I improvised a lot not only because I didn’t have art supplies but also because I was open to exploring ideas as they came.
I grew up in an extremely religious home and my grandmother was somehow a traditional woman. She had a farm and a garden, with a lot of trees, different plants, and flowers. I was the kind of girl child who used to climb trees and get into trouble haha… Being free and creative came naturally to me. I always got into trouble for being creative and expressive.
I was misunderstood a lot as a young girl, and faced a lot of challenges and several attempts to shut down my voice by her family. As I grew up, I closed up and wasn’t as expressive, so creating art became my form of self-expression and has always been my voice even when I didn’t have a voice.
Four years ago I suffered clinical depression and creating art brought me back to life, and helped me go through this difficult period. Art has always been my form of expression since a young age, despite struggles of being silenced by family because I spent a lot of free time playing and exploring new ideas. My family didn’t take my art seriously until now but I kept creating and that’s how I found my voice. They went to the extent of confiscating my colouring and sketchbooks because I spent a lot of time drawing and painting and they wanted me to focus on other subjects as well.
TAA: Describe your art background, Are you formally trained?
EK: I have a very brief art background, that was in secondary school where I learned a few basic art skills. Most of my skills are self-taught through my own research from art books and reading a lot of art history online. Also, I’ve always had an instinct; an expressive and curious kid. I was naturally creative from a young age so I had some knowledge. I didn’t get opportunities to do it more so I took up the subject mostly as a chance to not only express myself more but also to acquire more knowledge.
In secondary school there was mostly drawing, constructing houses with cardboard, live painting, printing, tie and dye, and working with clay. There was also wood work although I got scared because there were accidents so I didn’t pursue that. I like the idea of making things with my hand, that’s why I paint my backgrounds with my fingers. Regardless, I’m open to opportunities to expand my art knowledge formally.
TAA: I like your dedication to teaching and empowering others. When and why did you decide to pursue part-time teaching and workshops, also tell me more about your sip and paint sessions.
EK: I got into teaching two years ago to support myself and my art career, and strangely I started to enjoy it. I taught mostly children and teenagers. With time it became a struggle to balance my art career and teaching practice. I think I got overwhelmed. But I’ve not stopped teaching, I just took a break, my teaching of art skills has now transitioned to my paint and sip program I run with a friend at Golfview Chalets, a golf course and resort that offers a beautiful space that is like a getaway experience from a busy city like Lusaka.
Our audience is mostly of the age groups between 20 to 40 years. Sometimes, I receive a few kids who join two or three times a month. I find teaching kids different from teaching adults. Kids read my energy easily, and I have to keep up with their energy. Kids need a lot of me. I enjoy working with kids, they are very playful, and they bring out my inner child and I express myself freely around them. Through this initiative, I’m able to help others and learn a lot from the different groups that attend. The sessions are mainly for aspiring artists, and we focus more on the development of skills.
The sessions also offer me a space to grow as an artist, expand my ideas, and grow my narratives, as well as help beginners, who are still discovering themselves as artists, to acquire more skills. Also, it works, especially the few times I have creative blocks it has been a form of recharging or unwinding. Most of the students are strangers and I take these meetings as an opportunity to introduce and promote my work. Also with the art classes and workshops, I can share some skills and knowledge, and also acquire some skills from the young artists I mentor.
TAA: Back to the studio, What are you currently working on?
EK: I’m currently working on a body of work titled ‘Our Last Conversation’ an extension of ‘As We Are’ which was about let’s be vulnerable and connection. This work it’s about, what are we vulnerable about. Focusing on grief. In Zambia, grief is not discussed as often as it should, not only grief in terms of losing someone in death but in a sense that, as we grow, we constantly lose different parts of ourselves, we evolve and introduce ourselves to different aspects of ourselves, constant grief in our daily life.
I intend to shed light on the memory, intergenerational dialogues, and why we express ourselves the way we do as Africans, as Zambians, and as people in the world. I hope this work will foster meaningful conversations on personal growth in the context of loss, and the community will engage with it, in the end, it promotes healing and opens up the space to having difficult conversations that we don’t engage in.
This idea relates to one of the pieces I had in my solo exhibition titled ‘Communal Endings’. I believe in the constant improvement of ourselves. As you continue to evolve, sometimes the process can be fun and healing but we rarely speak about the frustrating part of change or developing ourselves. This could be struggling to communicate with your new version or circles you find yourself in, or dealing with the tension between the old vs new version of you. I intend to push myself further and maybe even have installations of my figures and much more.
TAA: How do you feel about the future as an abstract artist in the Zambian scene?
EK: I’m very excited about the future and at the same time nervous. I feel this way because in our Zambian art scene, abstract artists are not the first option to be considered in major projects. You need to be well-connected to be considered. What has kept me going is the constant reminder of why I became an abstract artist and I focus on the important feedback and shun what’s distractive.
I’m very excited about my future, sometimes the path is clear and sometimes I feel lost. I appreciate this feeling because that means I’m authentic, not in control and there is an endless line of opportunities.
I intend to keep working and connect with people who are naturally drawn to my work. Also, maintain a relationship with the few who have already appreciated my work and my story as an artist. Hopefully, my work will impact them in a certain way.
TAA: Any advice for any aspiring artists?
EK: Most times I advise them to be their most authentic selves. They can learn and get inspiration from other artists but the most important thing is for their work to have their own voice. They should strive to tell their own story and to know that their story is unique and they should use it to express themselves and create their art. To be as authentic as possible.
