Athenkosi Kwinana
Born 1995 in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, South Africa
Lives and works in Johannesburg, South Africa
Athenkosi Kwinana is a visual artist focused on drawing and printmaking. Her work explores the representation of People Living With Albinism (PLWA), particularly in Black communities. She graduated in 2022 with her Masters in Fine Arts at University of Johannesburg.  ‘My art practice inquires about the current representation of Black PLWA in contemporary South African visual culture and what this signifies about stigmas and prejudices around PLWA,’ she explains. ‘Therefore, I explore the visual representation of existing societal issues, my albinotic body, and attitudes around gender, pertaining to PLWA. In doing so, I aspire to deepen understanding of Albinism in South Africa precisely because Black society generally deems PLWA as different, invisible, socially unacceptable, and, therefore, subject to abuse. I aim to constructively reimagine the representation of Albinism in South African Black communities, in African contemporary art and Africa at large.’
Athenkosi Kwinana, Ndijonge, 2021,Coloured pencil on Hahnemuhle paper,130x240cm.Courtesy of Berman Contemporary.

Artists 2022