KASO CASO
Whats your name and where are you based?
My Name is Nsama Wisdom Chishimba, and I practice under the artist name kasocaso in Cape Town, South Africa.
Can you tell us a bit about your creative practice and how it’s evolved over time?
Yeah of course, so i’ve always been involved in the arts, as my father is a practicing architect and my mother has always been into crafts. Their constant encouragement has informed my current practice, as I have a love for structure in a rather unconventional manner, which I’d attribute to them both. This has led me to experiment with all kinds of media on different surfaces and styles, and has allowed my mind to stay open to new ideas and materials,
What draws you to mixed media? what does combining materials or surfaces allow you to explore that traditional formats don’t?
It’s mainly the sheer amount of textures one can get from mixing different media and the rush of switching between mediums to create one, cohesive piece, feels like no other format of creation. The non-linear nature of mixing said media on alternative flat surfaces also lends itself to how I think, as I am neurodivergent and think in images and color quite often.
What kind of stories or atmospheres are you drawn to when you create?
I’m intrigued by the magic of the mundane, and how one can create or inject incredibly abstracted ideas of a moment into a painting, while still capturing its essence, especially in figure painting.
Are there any recurring characters, textures, or colors that keep showing up in your work?
Definitely, in my comic book work, I’d say myself and my partner. My partner also appears frequently in my paintings, as I am quite enamoured by her presence, and how it translates into different mediums and surfaces. The color blue also appears a lot in certain eras of my life, usually when I’m unwell.
How does your approach shift when you’re creating for musicians versus making personal work?
There is definitely a certain level of restriction stylistically when it comes to working with clients, as a majority of musicians do have some kind of vision in mind for the art they would like to see attached to their own personal work, so more care is taken towards getting that vision right while still maintaining my own style. With my personal work, restrictions become self-imposed, and the “rules” more so become guidelines for whatever it is that I am attempting to achieve visually, which can be more freeing at times.
What song/Album would you love to create a cover for?
Nights by Frank Ocean is the first one that comes to mind, if not that then Burning Desire by MIKE
Is there a surface or material you’ve experimented with recently that surprised you?
Yes actually, the texture that can be found in cheap chinese canvases and ink markers is absurdly satisfying, quite unexpected.
How does your environment influence what or how you create?
It informs everything as far as I understand, I’m constantly pulling from my environment, from materials or references, to certain moods/attitudes and levels of drive/commitment. My current working environment has been incredibly motivating, as I’m constantly surrounded by extremely talented artists
Can you tell us about your experience preparing for Comic Con, what kinds of products are you working on, and how do they connect to your style or identity?
It’s been really informative, enjoyable and just overall inspiring, I’ve been learning a lot about product design in a very hands-on way. We’re creating four items with the workshop, A T-shirt, A Poster, A Tote Bag and A Baseball Cap. For my designs, I wanted to create a world of characters that pulls from what art inspired as a kid as well as my heritage and as those closest to me. In doing so, I’ve combined multiple African symbols, Cultural wear & street wear with the anime/comic book styles of the East & West that I grew up absorbing in my youth (and am still obsessed with to this day!).
What’s a project that pushed you outside your comfort zone, in a good way?
This current Workshop! I used to hate Adobe Illustrator, but the second week had us really experimenting in the software, and it’s grown on me quite a bit.
What keeps you creatively curious or motivated right now?
My Faith, My Family and Friends, Comics and the blessing of getting to wake up everyday and make things.
Where can people find your work, or catch you next?
You can find me @kasocaso on Instagram! And I’ll be at Comic-Con Africa 2025! I’ll be speaking on an Artist Panel on the first and third day so do come by and ask some questions!
