Gloria Hankombo, the first Young Zambian artist in residency for 2025 shared her Artistic Practice on Saturday, June 7, 2025. Her residency, which ran from May 24 to June 7, 2025, showcased her exploration of her culture, memory and self-expression. including the reflection of the passion and dedication that have driven her creative growth and progress.
There was a time when she felt ashamed of her Tonga heritage unsure of how it fit into her identity, especially in a world that often sidelines indigenous culture. But that’s changed. Today, she embraces it fully, not just as a personal truth, but as a vital part of her journey as an artist.
Her relationship with visual art began about two years ago, but 2024 marked a turning point. That’s when she started painting and drawing seriously diving into the world of canvas for the first time and allowing her curiosity to lead the way. That curiosity, paired with a deep inner drive, pushes her to speak boldly not with words, but with brushstrokes, lines, and color.
Gloria’s journey has been shaped by a personal commitment to learning, gaining knowledge and understanding the concepts of art independently without formal art education. Through her work, she highlights her experiences and perspectives, creating as an act of self-expression and as a form of emotional release when things become overwhelming. Her creative journey stems from her childhood memories of creating art from imagination and memory as a way of interpreting and reimagining the world around her, picking up pencils and charcoal blocks to draw. Art is her favourite language, its silent yet, yet loud. A place where feelings spill out in colour, texture and space
For Gloria, art is more than a skill. It’s a language, a way to communicate emotions, memory, heritage, and the complexity of life. During her talk, she expressed how her art reflects her experiences, memories, worldview, and emotions, as a way to communicate who she is, where she comes from, and what she carries inside.
Inspired by artists like Victor Mutelekesha, Lazarina Matuta, and Mulenga J. Mulenga, she is carving her own path, one that honors the past while exploring new forms of expression. Her recent milestones include being shortlisted in the top 50 for the FNB art competition and taking part in the prestigious Chaminuka Art Workshop experiences that have both challenged and empowered her.
For a while, cultural heritage was something she kept in the background. Now, it’s front and center in her creative process. She paints and draws to preserve, to question, to express, and to connect. And through her art, she’s found a voice one rooted in pride, culture, and the freedom to be fully herself.
