ABOUT KATLEGO TLABELA

Katlego Tlabela (b. 1993, Pretoria, South Africa) is an artist who completed his 4th year of a BA in Fine Arts at the University of Cape Town’s Michaelis School of Fine art primarily majoring in printmaking. He is based between Pretoria, Johannesburg and Cape Town. 

Regardless of his choice of major, Tlabela has always found himself predominantly concerned in the multi-disciplinary technical and creative processes of painting, sound, photography and sculptural installations – within each discipline; he finds ways to incorporate elements of print. Tlabela’s artistic interests have spanned from social and political crises in Post-Apartheid South Africa, the independent African continent as well as the United States of America. Resistance, protest, dialogues around race and positive methods of representation of the Black Body and Experience are visualized through text-based and visual works often revisiting history and relating it back to contemporary events. 

The political and personal merges through Tlabela’s work, with pride and defiance. 

Solo Exhibitions

2021     ‘Nouveau Riche’, Bkhz, Johannesburg, South Africa 

2021     ‘Nouveau Riche’, North West University Gallery, Potchefstroom, South Africa 

2017     ‘NEGRO SUNSHINE’, North West University Botanical Garden Gallery, Potchefstroom, South Africa 

Group Exhibitions

2021     1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, New York, United States of America

2020     ‘Medium is the Message’ (Working title) Unit London, London, England 

2020     ‘Medium is the Message’ (Working title) TBD, Lagos, Nigeria 

2020     ‘Habit At’, BKhz (Online), Johannesburg, South Africa 

2019     ‘Keep Languages Alive’, D54, Johannesburg, South Africa 

2019     ‘Mixed Messages’, Bkhz, Johannesburg, South Africa 

2019     ‘Winter Salon’, Bag Factory Artists’ Studios, Johannesburg, South Africa 

2018     ‘PROOF’, SMAC Gallery, Stellenbosch, South Africa 

2018     ‘In To View’, EBONY CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa 

2017     ‘From The Horse’s Mouth’, EBONY CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa 

2017     ‘Disclosure’, SMAC Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa 

2017     ‘100 Years: University of Fort Hare Print Exchange’, Steve Biko Center and De Beers Art Gallery, Eastern Cape, South Africa 

2017     Cape Town Art Fair (Eclectica Print Gallery) Cape Town, South Africa 

2016     ‘Creative Destructions’, Eclectica Contemporary Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa 

2016     ‘Unpacking’, Eclectica Contemporary Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa 

2016     ‘Thami Mnyele Fine Art Awards’, Johannesburg, South Africa 

2016     Turbine Art Fair, Johannesburg, South Africa 

2016     ‘Nothing Personal’, SMAC Gallery,Cape Town, South Africa 

2016     ‘Meditative Moments’, Mullers Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa 

2016     ‘Revisiting the Latent Archive in Sites’, AVA Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa 

2016     Turbine Art Fair, Johannesburg, South Africa 

2015     ‘Street Level’, World Art Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa 

2015     ‘Revisiting the Latent Archive in Sites’, Greatmore Studios Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa

2015     ‘Return to Sender’, Center of African Studies Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa 

2015     ‘Ganda the Rhino Project’, South Africa, Brazil, Poland and Portugal 

2014     Turbine Art Fair (Represented by Blaque Inq Contemporaries), Johannesburg, South Africa 

2013     Sasol New Signatures Top 93 Finalist exhibition, Pretoria Art Museum, South Africa 

Public collections

Fondation H Museum, Antananarivo, Madagascar

Projects

2020         Collaboration with Untitled 

2020         Collaboration with Gazelle for From Africa With Love Album 

2020         Collaboration with Danger Gevaar Ingozi Studios (TBD) 

2020         Kaaysa Art Residency, Sao Paulo Brazil (TBD) Kleinood Komposjaart Artist Residency, Stellenbosch, Cape Town 

2019-20   Spier Arts Trust: Creative Block Program (TBD) 

Educational Background

2012-17   BAFA Michaelis School of Fine Art, University of Cape Town, South Africa. 

Academic Achievements

2014         Hoosein Mahomed Award in recognition of quality of work, Michaelis School of Fine Art 

2013-15   Michaelis School of Fine Art Materials Bursary 2012 Vivian Cohen Award, Michaelis School of Fine Art 2011 1st Grade for Visual Arts, JG Meiring High School 

Scholarships

2012         University of Cape Town Entrance Scholarship