Mbali, Mbalenhle Shabane, is a 36-year-old multifaceted South African artist based in Durban. Her practice interrogates the complexities of the female experience, mapping a journey of transmutation through the lens of African spirituality and identity. By navigating the intersections of psychological trauma, displacement, and restorative healing, her work serves as a visceral reflection on the evolving relationship femininity maintains with itself.

The foundation of her aesthetic is a precise chromatic language rooted in the spiritual rituals of Sangomas. Drawing from the symbolic significance of ritual candles, where specific colours are chosen to manifest distinct intentions in prayers. I integrate these palettes to imbue each piece with a deliberate metaphysical purpose. Through this application of colour and form, I seek to bridge the physical and the sacred, transforming the canvas into a space for spiritual reflection and resilience.