Kim Makin

Kim Karabo Makin (b. 1994, Gaborone, Botswana) is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice weaves together sculpture, sound, and installation, grounded in rigorous research and a keen spatial awareness. With a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) from the Michaelis School of Fine Art at the University of Cape Town, Makin' s work is deeply informed by lived experience of displacement and multiculturalism, exploring how context shapes identity.

Makin is a founding member of The Botswana Pavilion, an artist collective that critically examines Botswana's creative identity. Her involvement with the collective has resulted in exhibitions at Gallery MOMO (Cape Town), the Botswana National Art Gallery (Gaborone), and a virtual exhibition supported by Pro Helvetia.

Her solo exhibition, "the doors of culture shall be opened," at Linnaeus (Gaborone, 2022), showcased her ability to merge diverse media and concepts. Makin has also participated in numerous group exhibitions, including at the Centre for African Studies Gallery (CAS), 99 Loop Gallery, AVA Gallery, Zeitz MOCAA, RMB Turbine Art Fair, Latitudes Art Fair, and We Are Afrika (World Bank, Washington D.C.). The Botswana Pavilion, of which she is a key member, has also been featured in international platforms such as Unfinished Camp, House of Electronic Arts (Basel), The Shed (New York), Pivô Arte e Pesquisa (São Paulo), and Savvy Contemporary Späti Circuit (Berlin).

Her achievements include being shortlisted for the Absa L'Atelier in 2018 and representing The Botswana Pavilion as a Hub Manager at the Creative Hubs Academy in 2019. In 2022, she completed an online residency with Ja Ja Ja Nee Nee Nee and was recognized as one of "Creatives That Rocked 2022" by Those Guys (Botswana).

Makin actively engages in the art community through online panel discussions with organizations like the British Council, the World Bank Art Program, and Zeitz MOCAA. She also contributes to art education as a Tutor and Lecture Assistant at the Michaelis School of Fine Art and supports the art world through her work as a Gallery Assistant for Suburbia Contemporary (Barcelona) and as an Executive Board Member for the Art Residency Centre (ARC – Gaborone). She lives and works between Gaborone and Cape Town.