Turiya Magadlela works with commonly found, yet conceptually loaded fabrics, from pantyhose to correctional service uniforms, and creates abstract compositions by cutting, stitching, folding and stretching these materials across wooden frames. Her subject matter shifts between articulations of personal experiences of woman and motherhood, and narratives from black South African history. Through her work, Magadlela engages in a conversation on the colonisation of black bodies and women; her art practice employs materials that call our attention to the increasing presence of capitalism and commodification in our lives.

In 2015, she was awarded the prestigious FNB Art Prize. She studied at the University of Johannesburg and the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam. In 2018, Magadlela was featured in a list of the top “10 African Artists to Invest in Now” by the TimesLive, and shortlisted for the Jean- François Prat Prize.