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Top Billing Features Artist Banele Khoza
Top Billing Visits Artist Banele Khoza In Studio.
There was a time in 2012 when artist and illustrator Banele Khoza had nothing to eat, but today he’s an award-winning artist exhibiting at the world-renowned Zeitz Mocaa museum. What happened in between has been life-changing for the Swazi-born talent.
Last year the talented young artist won the prestigious Gerard Sekoto Award- among the highest honours in art- for a series called Note Making. Banele spent a year on the incredible works, which tackle the issue of masculinity.
Along with the award, he won a three-month art residency in one of the major art capitals of the world- Paris. This experience was an addition to his already impressive portfolio of experience, including Fashion Design studies at the London International School of Fashion, and a BTech in Fine Art from the Tshwane University of Technology.
Another highlight for the artist was his work as part of one of the design duos on SABC3’s popular Win A Home reality show, where the range of fields in which he excels was fully revealed. Knowing that Win A Home changed Banele’s life is a badge of pride worn by all our colleagues who work on the show.
Another recent triumph is an exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Africa - exploring ideas of love and intimacy in the age of social media.
The momentum of his success has also been brought to the fore with his latest venture – a space he calls BKhz- in Braamfontein, Johannesburg. As well as showcasing his own work, this is a stage for designers, artists and friends to collaborate.
These achievements have all grown from humble beginnings and a freedom in creativity that Banele has enjoyed since he was a young child. While many children find heroes in illustrated comics, Banele found his in illustration itself.
His success is shared with those he loves, however, and he largely credits his mother, Thuli Khoza, without whom he doesn’t know where he’d be.
This success is a far cry from the time when all the young artist had was one pair of shoes and no money for dinner. But it is Banele’s freedom to express his ideas which sustained him, and turned his dream world of art, fashion and design into his reality.
