London

Mgoboza, Siwa
Born 1993 in Cape Town, South Africa
Lives and works in Cape Town, South Africa
Siwa Mgoboza’s work is informed by his exploration of the globalised African sense of self, a Western upbringing and the liminal space where these identities co-exist. His practice examines the construction of identity and the tangled relationship between Africa and the West and their respective histories. Mgoboza describes himself as a ‘post-post- colonial’ hybrid, questioning the meaning of culture and national definitions. Mgoboza has created Africadia, a means to transcend – if only momentarily – prejudice based on preconceived notions of gender, race, religion class and nationality. Hybridity is at the core of the Africadian experiment and Mgoboza imagines a world where absolutes become fluid and open to debate. In 2015, he was the recipient of the Eduard Louis Laden Art Bursary and the Cecil Skotnes Award for most promising artist. Mgoboza’s work is included in numerous private and public collections including The University of Cape Town, The University of South Africa and the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh, USA.
Siwa Mbogoza, Blinded By The Ancestral Grace IV, 2019, Isishweshwe (Three Cats Cotton), Tulle, Pigment, Acrylic Paint, National Geographic Clippings and Cotton on Fabriano, Dimensions variable. Courtesy Loft Art Gallery