The Mofolo born (Soweto) recently collaborated with IQOS products to develop limited edition prints that can be applied during the Heritage Month (September).
Having opened its IQOS Boutique store at Maponya Mall (Soweto), this means Senzos work will include limited edition prints, of which customers can buy.
“There are two designs available which have been inspired by the Basotho, Ndebele, Xhosa and Zulu cultures and are a concoction of different cultural tribes found in urban spheres like Soweto,” shares Senzo. “I chose these designs because they recognise the significance and importance of preserving our history, identity and heritage.
The deep rich colours used on the designs represent different ethnic groups found in South Africa and the African continent.”
Senzo, famously known as the man behind the colourful mural art on the walls around Braamfontein and at Soweto’s Eyethu Cinema and Funda Arts Centre, uses colour to bring to life his Amasweedi (‘feeling good’) art.
When he started more than 13 years ago, his focus was on depicting township and urban life through oil on canvas, sculpture and print-making. His technique advanced when he incorporated video and graphic design.
We chose to collaborate with Senzo because his ingenuity, creativity and discernment of futuristic thinking are his trademark signatures which keeps him original and authentic,” says Marcelo Nico, Managing Director at Philip Morris South Africa.
“His designs always have a strong objective to inspire, promote and profile multiculturalism and diversity amongst people.”
“We as a company are continuously looking to offer better alternatives to the benefit of public health and to get smokers to abandon cigarette smoking,” says Nico.
“Understanding design, through the use of advanced technology and science, allows Philip Morris International to create more intuitive, sophisticated and improved products that help adult smokers, who would otherwise continue to smoke cigarettes to find better alternatives.”
Senzo studied fine art at the Funda Arts Centre in Soweto and did a degree in arts in Switzerland.
He completed several postgraduate courses at Artists Proof Studio in South Africa, Academy of Art in Germany and the Ecole Supreme Des Beaux Art in France.
Soweto’s Maponya Mall is the 14th retail space, in leading malls across Gauteng, Western Cape and KwaZulu Natal, to open its doors to Philip Morris South Africa (PMSA) for the expansion of IQOS, an advanced heated tobacco alternative to cigarettes.
Nico adds that the only way to completely avoid the risk of smoking-related diseases is to not start smoking at all.
For current smokers, the best option is to quit. However, for smokers, who would rather continue smoking, our goal is to offer smoke-free alternatives that have the potential to reduce the risk compared to smoking cigarettes.
Globally, over 11 million smokers across 47 countries have fully converted to IQOS.
Note: IQOS does not stand for “I quit ordinary smoking”
For more information visit: www.iqos.co.za
