Thenjiwe Nkosi

Thenjiwe Niki Nkosi (born 1980) is a South African-American painter and multi-media artist.[1][2] In 2019, she won the 15th Tollmand Award, an annual South African award for visual artist.[3][4][5][6]

Early years and education

Nkosi was born in 1980 in New York to a South African father in exile and a Greek-American mother. She moved to Harare in 1989 then Johannesburg in 1992. She holds a bachelor's degree from Harvard University and an MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York.[1][7][3][8][6]

Career

Usually, Nkosi's works investigate power and its structures in politics, architecture and society. She has exhibited her paintings and films in several countries including South Africa, United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Vernice and Portugal. Some of the shows she has exhibited at include; the Standard Bank Gallery in Johannesburg, the ifa Gallery in Berlin, the South London Gallery and Tate Modern in London, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Rio de Janeiro, Joburg Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale and the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris.[1][7][2][8][5] She has been an artist in residence at the XXVIIes Aterliers Internationaux, FRAC des Pays de la Loire in France, VAIVEM in Sao Paulo, Vanilla Facts in Berlin, Cruces International, Montevideo and the Bag Factory Artist Residency.[3]

Nkosi’s first solo show at Stevenson Gallery in Johannesburg, entitled “Gymnasium” opened in June 2020.[9] Speaking on "Gymnasium", Thenjiwe says "I wanted to draw attention to the relationship between the individual and the collective". Thenjiwe intends for her work to "bring to attention those in-between moments, which are often overlooked and undervalued as part of the processes of victory, as part of the performance" [10]

Nkosi’s video piece "Suspension" (six minutes and 45 seconds long) was featured in a 2020 online show of video art. In “Suspension”, she cut together footage of Black elite gymnasts from all over the world in the moments just before their routines commenced. The New York Times review called the piece "sublime" and "the drop-everything-and-stream-it-now achievement of [the] video exhibition" in which it was presented.[11]

She has often collaborated with artist collaborative MADEYOULOOK with Molemo Moiloa and Nare Mokgotho, as well as with Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum.[12][13][14]

Personal life

Nkosi is a mother of one child.[2] She lives and works in Johannesburg.[2]

Awards

  • 2004 - Philippe Wamba Prize in African Studies[3]
  • 2019 - 15th Tollmand Award[4][3]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Studio VU welcomes Thenjiwe Nkosi on January 10, 2018". Vanderbilt University. Archived from the original on 23 December 2019. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d "Thenjiwe Niki Nkosi". www.nandos.co.uk. Archived from the original on 23 December 2019. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d e STEVENSON. "STEVENSON". STEVENSON. Archived from the original on 20 November 2019. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  4. ^ a b "South African Artist Thenjiwe Niki Nkosi Receives the 15th Tollman Award | Contemporary And". www.contemporaryand.com (in German). Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  5. ^ a b "Thenjiwe Niki Nkosi: Gymnasium". The Africa Center. 13 September 2019. Archived from the original on 23 December 2019. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  6. ^ a b "Artist Thenjiwe Niki Nkosi reveals—and defies—the white supremacist underpinnings of elite gymnastics". Document Journal. 7 November 2019. Archived from the original on 23 December 2019. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  7. ^ a b "Event: Frieze New York: Thenjiwe Niki Nkosi". Mariane Ibrahim Gallery. Archived from the original on 23 December 2019. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  8. ^ a b "Thenjiwe Niki Nkosi". frieze.com. Archived from the original on 23 December 2019. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  9. ^ "Painter Thenjiwe Niki Nkosi Captures the Moments Just Before Legendary Black Gymnasts Perform Daring Routines—See Images Here". artnet News. 9 June 2020. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  10. ^ "Ones to watch 2021 - Thenjiwe Nkosi". Itnicethat.com. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  11. ^ "2 Art Gallery Shows to Explore From Home". The New York Times. 24 June 2020. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  12. ^ "Foundwork | Guest Curators | MADEYOULOOK (Molemo Moiloa and Nare Mokgotho)". foundwork.art. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  13. ^ Sassen, Robyn (20 October 2013). "PERFORMANCE ART: DONNA KUKAMA". Sunday Times (Johannesburg, South Africa).
  14. ^ "MADEYOULOOK". MADEYOULOOK. Archived from the original on 7 January 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2021.

External links