Tinyiko Makwakwa (b. 1984) is a Johannesburg-based artist whose process-driven studio practice is a deep investigation into African indigenous science and realities. Working primarily with textiles, she creates layered compositions of vibrant colour using ochre, glass beads, and stitch embroidery on umbaco, a fabric used in traditional Xhosa attire.

At the heart of Makwakwa’s work is the exploration of cultural materiality as a form of language. Her practice is centered on what she terms "Matrilineal Methodologies"—rituals and spiritual practices that promote circularity and link generations. She champions ancestral knowledge systems as a valid science in and of itself, examining how these indigenous perspectives and lived experiences build and sustain cultures over time.

Through a visual language of curvilinear abstract shapes and forms, Makwakwa explores the interwoven narratives between her materials, the landscape, and her artistic process. Her work seeks to create a seamless blend between the physical and the spiritual, functioning as a continued, natural synthesis of tradition and contemporary expression.