Keabetsoe Makgoane

Keabetsoe Makgoane (b. 11 January 2000) is a multidisciplinary artist living and working in Johannesburg, South Africa. Makgoane began drawing and painting in preschool as most children did, and since then has used art to explore new worlds of perception. After completing their matriculation in 2017, a journey of self-discovery became apparent - a year later, they received their first camera and began paying tender attention to the people and spaces they were photographing during that period.

Makgoane acquired their photographic education at the prominent school of photography in the southern hemisphere, The Market Photo Workshop in 2019 - where they were trained and mentored by Tshepo Gumbi, recipient of the 2015 Tierney Fellowship photography mentorship programme. The Market Photo Workshop prepares students for the creative, conceptual, technical, and professional needs of photography. Makgoane showcased a selection of their photographs at The Market Photo Workshop group exhibition(2019) later that year.

Makgoane honed their art and narrative using modern media, capturing their attention. They had their first opportunity to exhibit their painting in 2023 with Latitudes.Online - REVERB 23(abstract resonance) was a group exhibition including the work of over fifty modern African artists that use abstract art to create a sensory map of sight, sound, and texture. The show brought together 70 pieces by 51 artists from Africa and the Diaspora.

Their art embraces imperfections and adversity, encapsulating the essence of their journey within the context of the black collective and experience . This piqued the interest of Sara Hallatt, the director and creator of META Foundation, who invited Makgoane to exhibit at META's 76 project (2024) and Contra. Joburg, the largest open studios event in South Africa.

Makgoane's work delves into black sociology, black identity, the communal black experience, and the queer experience, dissecting the intricacies of the numerous repressive regimes in South Africa through various mediums; these include: drawing, painting, photography, film and beat-making.