Enter the Lab Episode 14: Chanté Ponce
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“ENTER THE LAB” is the content series where we showcase the talented, innovative and expressive individuals within our community.
The aim is to connect with the person in front of the camera beyond just the imagery. The approach is both grand, portraying their personalities/uniqueness in a monumental style, while maintaining a personal element, revealing a side of them that viewers have never seen before.
Chanté Ponce, a 23-year-old visionary and the mind behind No Name Nail Bar. What started as a self-taught hustle during lockdown has evolved into a meaningful and expressive art practice—one that’s deeply personal, unapologetically instinctive, and beautifully community-driven.
Art isn’t always loud. Sometimes it lives quietly in the everyday, in the details we often overlook—like ten tiny canvases at the tips of your fingers.
“Even some who aren’t allowed to express their personal style in day-to-day wear find that nail art becomes the perfect outlet—it goes with them everywhere.”
For Chanté, nails are more than a trend or a touch-up—they’re a form of storytelling. Her earliest memories of sketching, painting and dressing up as a child have shaped her present-day creative process, where every manicure becomes a deeply considered expression of individuality, joy, identity and healing.
No Name Nail Bar stand out is its openness to collaboration. The name itself strips away ego, giving space to the vision of each client. It reflects Chanté’s commitment to making the experience about you, the canvas, and the moment. The approach? Honest, instinct-led, and rooted in curiosity.
Every set is its own performance piece, pulling references from pop culture, fashion, design and raw emotion. It’s a process that transforms inspiration into something wearable, something real.
No Name Nail Bar stand out is its openness to collaboration. The name itself strips away ego, giving space to the vision of each client. It reflects Chanté’s commitment to making the experience about you, the canvas, and the moment. The approach? Honest, instinct-led, and rooted in curiosity.
Every set is its own performance piece, pulling references from pop culture, fashion, design and raw emotion. It’s a process that transforms inspiration into something wearable, something real.
To push boundaries, to create with purpose, and to leave your mark in the most unexpected ways.
Enter the LAB with Chanté was more than just a fashion shoot, she used this platform to tell a bigger story. Drawing inspiration from Frida Kahlo, Mother Mary, and the symbol of the bleeding heart, her visuals unpacked themes of loss, love, and gender-based violence in South Africa.
“My dark, black-stained nails symbolise the tools I’ve been given to dig deep—helping to create spaces where truths can exist freely and heal what was once taken from me.”
At The LAB, we believe in platforming voices that use creativity to spark change, challenge norms, and celebrate self-expression. Chanté embodies this spirit entirely. Her work is more than art—it's connection, care, and courage.
“My dark, black-stained nails symbolise the tools I’ve been given to dig deep—helping to create spaces where truths can exist freely and heal what was once taken from me.”
At The LAB, we believe in platforming voices that use creativity to spark change, challenge norms, and celebrate self-expression. Chanté embodies this spirit entirely. Her work is more than art—it's connection, care, and courage.
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