Khotso Motsoeneng (b.1993, Free State)

Is a self-taught painter and printmaker whose training in photography developed his keen eye for colour and form. Motsoeneng’s practice seeks out an abstract formal language which brings together his keen observation of nature and intuitive perspectives on the relationship between different colours and emotions. He is particularly inspired by woodgrain as a trace of of natural processes, and looks to plant life as a metaphor for human experience. Motsoeneng’s brightly coloured canvases are also sites of emotional exploration, and participate in a complex symbolic system in which colour and emotion are intertwined. His work has been included in several group shows in South Africa, most recently he was selected as one of the finalists for Emerging Painters Invitational Prize 2022, he has also shown his work at the 2021 Turbine Art Fair, and is represented in international and local private collections. A past finalist for the prestigious Cassirer Welz Award (2019), Motsoeneng is a resident artist at August House studios in Johannesburg.