Yolanda Mazwana

Yolanda Mazwana (b. 1996, Eastern Cape) is a Johannesburg-based, self-taught visual artist whose paintings investigates themes surrounding mental health, the female body, and cultural identity. Mazwana synthesizes elements of abstract expressionism, neo-expressionism, and symbolism to explore the complexities of inner experience, trauma, and personal resilience.

Through layered textures, bold colours and distorted forms, her figures become symbolic reflections of societal pressures, emotional vulnerabilities, probing questions of selfhood. Mazwana's recent solo exhibitions, Symptoms of Nothing at Kalashnikovv Gallery and Secret Homegirls at Daville Baillie Gallery (both in 2019), delve into subjects such as anxiety, isolation, and subconscious. Her work often portrays characters and symbols representing agoraphobia, hypochondria, and inner conflict, transforming these themes into vibrant narratives that resonate with the viewer's shared experiences. Her art has been showcased in numerous group exhibitions and major art fairs, including the Investec Cape Town Art Fair, FNB Art Joburg Fair, and RMB Turbine Art Fair. In recognition of her contributions of contemporary art, Mazwana received The Bag Factory Young Woman Studio Bursary in 2019 and secured the second prize for the Emerging Painting Invitational Prize in 2020.