Athenkosi Kwinana
Athenkosi Kwinana (b. 1995) is a visual artist and activist based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Specialising in drawing and printmaking, she holds a Master's in Fine Arts from the University of Johannesburg.
Since graduating in 2022 Kwinana has gone on to receive multiple awards, opportunities, and residencies, both in South Africa and abroad. Shortly after graduating, she received the Cultures Resistance Award and the Tilga Art Fund, and exhibited at the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair in London. She also participated in the Admirals Artist Programme in Cape Town, South Africa. In 2023, she presented a solo booth at the Investec Cape Town Art Fair, showcased at 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair in London, and received a primary grant from the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation for drawing and printmaking. Kwinana also completed a three-month artist residency in Havana, Cuba, where she exhibited at the Ludwig Foundation of Cuba.
In 2024, Kwinana’s work was featured at the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair in New York. She also participated in a three-month artist residency at the Kaaysa Art and Performance Residency in Brazil. Her solo exhibition Ndijongile, opened in 2024 and formed part of an Albinism Awareness Month initiative involving a group exhibition, an albinism timeline, and a panel discussion. In 2025, Kwinana exhibited at the Investec Cape Town Art Fair and the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair in New York, where she was featured in the New York Times. She was awarded the NG Art Creative Residency, New Emergence Art Prize, and TRIBUTES Statuette in the Visual Arts Award, Tributes Excellence Awards. Kwinana also contributed to a workshop titled Beyond Displacement: Building Safe Spaces of Conviviality, held at the University of Cape Town. That same year, she began her plan to tour her solo exhibition Ndijongile, around South Africa by showcasing it at the University of Free State in Bloemfontein. In conjunction, she presented two talks: Artistic Reflection and Ndijongile: Student Engagement.
Persons with Albinism of all ages, races, sexual orientations, and genders are subjected to systemic violence and discrimination daily in South Africa. This is largely owing to irrational traditional beliefs and cultural myths, such as “having sexual intercourse with a woman with Albinism will cure one of the HIV viruses”. As a result, many live with the fear that they may be harmed, raped or abducted and killed for their body parts. I believe that a more expansive representation of individuals with Albinism will assist in creating greater awareness about Albinism.
My artistic practice, which sees me specialising in drawing and printmaking, explores the questionable representation of person/s with Albinism in South African visual culture, with the intention to confront systemic discrimination, promote inclusivity, and foster dialogue on identity, body politics, and representation. Through my use of portraiture, I challenge prevailing social prejudices and stigmas surrounding persons with Albinism, seeking to foster greater awareness and understanding. Drawing on theoretical frameworks such as postcolonial theories, intersectionality, and normative frameworks such as human rights. I investigate the complexities of representing persons with Albinism in contemporary South African visual art and popular culture. My ongoing research critically examines recent portrayals of the albinotic body, particularly through a black feminist lens.
As an individual with Albinism, I employ an autoethnographic approach that intertwines my personal narrative and those of other individuals with Albinism with my artistic inquiry. Through my artistic practice, I aim to offer a nuanced understanding of the challenges and realities we face, while advocating for equality and inclusivity for persons with Albinism within South African society and beyond. By highlighting gaps in research, exposing social injustices, and critiquing existing policies related to Albinism, my work addresses urgent issues that demand attention. I hope to stimulate deeper awareness and encourage dialogue that leads to tangible change in how persons with Albinism are perceived and treated in South Africa and beyond.
Artist Statement
Follow Athenkosi Kwinana to see her full portfolio and artist journey:
Septemb24k
“Derived from my small observational drawings, these portraits incorporated the use of the gaze, strong body postures, light, and colour, exuding power and dignity.”
Septemb24k is a body of artworks inspired by the tragic case of the late Gabisile Shabane. Shabane was a 13-year-old girl with Albinism from Vosman, Emalahleni (formerly Witbank), who was abducted from her home and mutilated for her body parts in January 2018. Many evil crimes like this – owing to the irrational cultural myth that the body parts of individuals with Albinism can be used for ritual practices to produce amulets still occur today.
The journey of this body of work starts with an inquiry into how portraiture has been used to mobilise change. I am aware of how portraiture has influenced some of the biggest political movements across the world, but for this inquiry, I wanted to improve my technique of creating portraiture to strengthen the advocacy of my work. So, I undertook a three-month residency in HV, Cuba, where I examined the works of Cuban photographers José A. Figueroa, Alberto Korda, and Liborio Noval. Photographers whose images of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara had a large influence on what we know today as the Cuban Revolution. During my stay, I created small-scale observational drawings that captured the photographer’s use of the gaze, light, and close-up imagery.
But my visit to Cuba also proved to be crucial in the way that it exposed me to different perspectives on skin, community, and the act of unity, outside of a South African context. Through dialogues with artists, curators, and daily interactions, I observed practices that made me realise that, globally, our sense of community is becoming increasingly fragile. But how could I communicate this in my work?
For the longest time, my works centred around self-portraits – speaking on the black lived experiences of persons with Albinism. After my return from Cuba, I wanted to bring that sense of community home. How could I enhance my work beyond self-portraits and documentative, surrealistic art prints?
Considering South Africa’s diverse racial demographics, I realised that incorporating a broader representation of persons with Albinism not only fosters openness in discussions about Albinism, it also offers a more accurate and inclusive portrayal of the realities of persons with Albinism.
Building on the observational drawings, I returned to creating large portrait drawings featuring subjects of diverse backgrounds – races, ages, and genders. Each image captures individuals from the waist up against imagery or tile patterns observed in Cuban homes, museums, and streets. Derived from my small observational drawings, these portraits incorporated the use of the gaze, strong body postures, light, and colour, exuding power and dignity. Through this ongoing inquiry and the creation of this body of work, I aim to provide a broader representation of persons with Albinism, increase visibility, and strengthen community bonds.
Portfolio
Ndijongile Installation
“With this installation, which is a recreation of my grandparents’ living room, I seek to reclaim the notion of home being a place of solace, our sanctuaries, and a place of comfort.”
In the semi-rural town of Corana, Mthatha, in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, my grandparents' house was the centrepiece of my life. Broad in acres, their household housed my mother, my aunts, my two younger siblings, the ground staff, and me. Memories from my early childhood were rooted in that patch of land. Though my first raw encounter with discrimination based on my appearance, Albinism, was in their garden, it was also in the confines of my grandparents’ house that I found strength and solace. The constant tears I shed from the bullying I endured at school, poured on my grandmother's nightdress, as I knelt at her feet, as we sat in her bedroom. Their roof tended to my vulnerabilities and allowed me to be me. In the evening, bowlfuls of laughter echoed throughout the house, as we all were amused by the TV. December holidays, especially Christmas, produced mountains of blankets all over the living room floors. The whole family would be home, because their house was the place to be. My grandparents’ house was the quiet harbour of my being. Though they are no longer alive, this space still represents the comfort and sanctuary they created for me, and all of us.
The Ndijongile installation seeks to recreate one part of this home – my grandparents living room. It features a couch, a blanket, suitcases, a carpet, children’s drawing crayons, paper and family pictures. The installation forms part of the Septemb24k body of work, and so the wallpaper is extracted from artwork TM’24’s background pattern. Digitally manipulated, the wallpaper has areas that are fragmented and repetitive. There is a disruption here, to this “aesthetic installation”; it resists the illusion of perfection because beneath it lies an instability. The installation questions how things we perceive as beautiful tend to conceal tension, inviting the viewer to engage more, beyond the surface, with what has been reassembled and broken.
Importantly, this installation also pays homage to the late Gabisile Shabane. Shabane was a 13-year-old girl with Albinism who was abducted from her home, her body mutilated for her body parts in Vosman, Mpumalanga, South Africa. Many evil crimes like this – owing to the irrational cultural myth that the body parts of individuals with Albinism can be used for ritual practices to produce amulets – still occur today.
With this installation, I seek to reclaim the notion of home being a place of solace, our sanctuaries, and a place of comfort. Shabane’s case, of her being abducted from her home, has compelled me to confront the violation of her safety. Therefore, this installation is about reclaiming that power– the restoration of the home as a place of humanity.
Artist Resume
Affiliations
Member of Golden Key International Honour Society | Since 2022 -
Education
2022 Master's of Technology in Fine Art, University of Johannesburg
2018 Bachelor of Technology in Fine Art, Walter Sisulu University, cum laude
2017 National Diploma in Fine Art, Walter Sisulu University, cum laude Solo
Exhibitions
2025 Ndijongile, curated by Angela De Jesus, Faculty of Law, University of Free State, Bloemfontein
2024 Ndijongile, curated by Candice Berman, Berman Contemporary, Johannesburg
2022 Reimagining Albus, University of Johannesburg, Master's Exhibition, Constitution Hill, Johannesburg
Group Exhibitions
2025 Happy Women’s Month, I guess…, co-ordinated by DuduBloom More, Berman Contemporary, Johannesburg
2024 Kaaysa Art and Performance Residency 7th Anniversary: Open Studio, curated by Athenkosi Kwinana, Kaaysa Art and Performance Residency, Boicucanga, Brazil
2024 Summer Muse, curated by Candice Berman, Berman Contemporary, Johannesburg
2024 Ndijongile, curated by Candice Berman, Berman Contemporary, Johannesburg
2024 #ARTladies: Women’s month group exhibition, curator Candice Berman, Berman Contemporary, Johannesburg
2024 PRETTY BRILLIANT: The magic of female stories, curator Els van Mourik, Berman Contemporary, Johannesburg
2023 THE 2020s: new forms of abstraction – part 2, curator Els van Mourik, Berman Contemporary, Johannesburg
2023 #ARTladies, ARTSY – online exclusive, Berman Contemporary
2022 THE ANNUAL SUMMER SHOW, curator Els van Mourik, Berman Contemporary, Johannesburg
2022 SENSES and LENSES, curator Gcotyelwa Mashiqa, Berman Contemporary, Johannesburg
2022 THE ANNUAL WINTER SHOW, curator Morgan Kunhardt, Berman Contemporary, Johannesburg
2021 Trail & Error, Art and Collect Gallery 37, Johannesburg
2018 Annual art exhibition, Ann Bryant Gallery, East London
2018 Finding Albus: Reframing the representation of people living with Albinism, Ann Bryant Gallery, East London
Written Publications
2025 Chapter contributor, “Artistry and Activism: Challenging Representations of Albinism in South Africa,” Forthcoming book, Understanding Albinism, and the Experiences of Persons with Albinism: Historical, Medical and Socio-legal Perspectives
2022 Reimagining Albus: a critical and visual response to Albinism in contemporary art, Athenkosi Kwinana, University of Johannesburg
2018 Finding Albus: Reframing the representation of people living with Albinism within the Eastern Cape’s contemporary society (Available at the Applied Art Department of Walter Sisulu University)
Artist Residencies
2025 Admirals Artist Residency programme, Cape Town, South Africa
2024 Kaaysa Art and Performance Residency, Boicucanga, Brazil
2024 The Creatory Residency, Johannesburg, South Africa
2023 Arthaus Artist Residency, La Habana, Cuba
2023 LOOK AND SEE MORE Art Foundation, Howick, South Africa
2022 Admirals Artist Residency programme, Cape Town, South Africa
Awards
2025 Cultures of Resistance films Grant, Worldwide
2025 NG Art Creative Residency, New Emergence Art Prize, Worldwide
2025 TRIBUTES Statuette in the Visual Arts Award, Tributes Excellence Awards, South Africa
2024 Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant, Secondary Grant, Worldwide
2023 Art.co.za Watchlist 2024, South Africa
2023 Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant, Primary Grant, Worldwide
2022 Creative Activism Award by Cultures of Resistance Films, Worldwide
2022 Tilga Art Fund Award, Worldwide
2019 Bursary Award for Master’s Degree, National Arts Council. University of Johannesburg
2019 Bursary Award for Master’s Degree, Struass & Co., University of Johannesburg
2017 BCC Achievers Award – Best Student in Visual Arts, Walter Sisulu University
Commissions
2025 International Conference on Albinism Beyond 2030: Legal and Healthcare Pathways to Inclusion – International Conference, University of Free State, South Africa
2025 United Nations Albinism, Remote
2025 Disability Debrief, Remote
2023 Mothering and Albinism, Trinity Western University, United Nations and University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
2022 PESP3 Art Creating programme, National Museum, coordination by the Art Bank of South Africa, Bloemfontein, South Africa
EXPO
2025 Tributes Excellence Awards Expo – Exhibitor (small booth), Richards Bay, South Africa
Video
2025 Athenkosi Kwinana’s Powerful Self-Portraits | South African Artist Spotlight, CCArt
2024 Ndijongile Albinism Awareness Panel Discussion, Berman Contemporary, YouTube, October
2023 THE INSIDER SA – WE EXPLORE THE THEME: RAINBOW NATION, March
2022 Athenkosi Kwinana | Berman Contemporary
2022 Athenkosi Kwinana, MA Fine Art 2019-2021
Stockists & Collaborations
2025 Roche Bobois, Johannesburg, South Africa
Art Fairs
2025 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, London, Berman Contemporary, New York
2025 Investec Cape Town Art Fair, Group Booth, Berman Contemporary, Cape Town
2024 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, London, Berman Contemporary, New York
2023 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, London, Berman Contemporary, London
2023 Investec Cape Town Art Fair, SOLO Booth, Berman Contemporary, Cape Town
2022 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, London, Berman Contemporary, London
Selected Publications
2025 Back in New York, an African Art Fair Relishes the Sense of Place, New York Times, May
2025 Shades of silence: Athenkosi Kwinana, Albinism and the struggle for visibility in South Africa, Africa South Art Initiative, February
2025 10 African artist under 30 you should be watching, Art Network
2025 Exploring Difference: Albinism and Chiari Malformation in Contemporary Art, Artthrob, January
2024 Artsy October exhibition feature: Ndijongile, Artsy, Online, October
2024 Beninese artist Gbaguidi’s exhibition among October’s art, Business Day Wanted, October
2024 Images in Athenkosi Kwinana’s exhibition about people living with albinism at Berman Contemporary gaze back at you, City Life Arts, September
2024 Shades Unseen: A Reflection on Albinism in South African Art, 10and5, September
2024 Athenkosi Kwinana Passion for Creating New Narratives About People Living with Albinism, City Life Arts, March
2023 Athenkosi Kwinana is breaking the stigma about s Living with Albinism (PLWA) through art, BIZCOMMUNITY, February
2023 Raising awareness through art activism: Athenkosi Kwinana, Suboart Magazine,
2023 Visual activist’s work focused on albinism myths, stereotypes, selected for Cape Town Art Fair, DispatchLIVE,
2021 Athenkosi Kwinana: Amotion, Exploring Visual Cultures, Hardcopy
2018 Student’s Research revisits Albinism, GO! & Express,
Collections
2018 Fort Hare, UNISA & Walter Sisulu University, East London, South Africa
2017 University of Fort Hare, Alice, South Africa
Talks
2025 Discussing Disability Narratives, Skills Village Radio, South Africa
2025 Artistic Reflection, Albinism Beyond
2030: Legal and Healthcare Pathways to Inclusion – International Conference, University of Free State, Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa
2025 Ndijongile: Student Engagement, Albinism Beyond 2030: Legal and Healthcare Pathways to Inclusion – International Conference, University of Free State, Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa
2024 Speaker, Art as a Form of Activism: Athenkosi Kwinana, University of Free State, Online
2024 Facilitator, Ndijongile: Albinism Awareness Panel Discussion, Berman Contemporary, Johannesburg, South Africa
2024 Panellist, Heritage Month Reflective conversations: 30 years of democracy for persons with albinism, Mmabatho Foundation for Women’s Development, Online
2024 Athenkosi Kwinana, Channel Africa Radio
2024 Panellist, The Power of Inclusivity: Elevating Diverse Stories in Media, FAME Week Africa, Cape Town, South Africa
2023 Speaker, Presentacion de la artista: Athenkosi Kwinana, Ludwig Foundation of Cuba, Havana, Cuba
2023 Ya no quiero esconder mis rizos (I don't want to hide my curls anymore), a discussion with Athenkosi Kwinana and Charlas Rizadas, presented by lo Llevamos Rizo hosted at Galleria Continua Havana, Cuba
2023 Residencia de Arte Arthaus presenta a Prof. Katrin Hansing en conversacion con Athenkosi Kwinana, Arthaus Artist Residency, Havana, Cuba.
Workshop
2025 Beyond Displacement: Building Safe Spaces of Conviviality, alongside Dr. Alicia Blam and Lauren Bickerdike, University of Cape Town, South Africa