Artists

Growing up in Orange Farm, Sthembiso Zwane often spent afternoons riding alongside his grandfather, who was a taxi driver, as he ferried passengers along his routes. During these rides, he became acquainted with and fascinated by the myriad of elderly riders that passed through his grandfather’s taxi. The wrinkles and texture of their skin drew his attention and thus have become a recurring theme in his artworks. Finely textured carvings recreate a lifelike texture in his prints giving an illusion of movement.

In 2009, Zwane studied printmaking at the Artist Proof Studio, mentored by Themba Khumalo. In 2011 he started artist collective Dancing Brushes which specialised in creating large-scale murals. During that time, he explored different mediums ranging from painting to carnival puppetry, before refocusing solely on printmaking and founding the Mazenzela Workshop in 2014. In 2015, he placed in the Top 100 for both Sasol’s New Signatures and the Thami Mnyele Art Awards. He also became an assistant printmaker at Prints on Paper. In 2017 he joined Nicholas Hlobo and helped install his performance for the New York Performance Arts Biennale. In 2019, he founded the Mazenzela Art Collective with other Johannesburg-based artists. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with established artists like MK Studios as well as emerging artists like Sanele Jali. His artworks are available through Asisebenze Studio.