B. 1982, Modimolle, South Africa

Johannesburg based artist Nelson Makamo is best known for his charcoal and oil paintings of young women, men, and children who are redressing decades of images that have perpetuated the stereotype that African people are destitute. For approximately sixteen years since he received his formal training at Artist Proof studios in Johannesburg, Makamo has been committed to distracting that demeaning image by portraying African people in a manner that reverses these stereotype.

Makamo’s subject matter and artistry has steadily placed him on a global stage, making him one of Africa’s young and most sought after visual artists of our times. In 2019, Makamo was commissioned for the cover of TIME magazine for the February issue, guest edited by Hollywood film director Ava DuVernay.

Makamo has exhibited in Cape Town, Johannesburg, America, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Scotland. His work is featured in prestigious public and private collections, including City of Johannesburg, Oprah Winfrey, Standard Chartered, Matasis Investment Holdings, The Dean Collection, Georgio Armani, Hanzehof Zuphense Kunst Collection, Black Coffee and Telkom South Africa to name a few.

STATEMENT

Amid covid-19 global outbreak, South Africa witnessed yet another wave of gender based violence and femicide cases, whilst in America, violence against black women and men sparked a global protest… #BlacklivesMatter.

Nelson Makamo’s work has always depicted a sense of desire for freedom of existence, a freedom which seems to be a thing of the past when one considers both the systematic and direct violence that the world is currently facing. Home sick at home and Blue, are some of the themes that Makamo is deeply exploring in his studio at the moment, where he associates the theme “blue” with ideas of loyalty, trust, and wisdom, which we possess naturally as humans; and at the same time, explores homesickness as an underlying emotion that anticipates the human connection that seem to have been spiralling downward recently, following this violence that we have been witnessing worldwide.

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