Multidisciplinary artist Katlego Tlabela creates work that examines social and political crises in post-apartheid South Africa. He employs painting, sound, photography, and sculptural installations to spark important dialogues surrounding race and representation.

After graduating from the University of Cape Town’s Michaelis School of Fine Art, where he majored in printmaking, Tlabela began showing work in group exhibitions throughout South Africa. Though at first reluctant to call himself a painter due to his formal training as a printmaker, Tlabela has received attention for his paintings depicting Black subjects in positions of leisure and luxurious domestic settings. These works—often composed of acrylic, ink, and collage on canvas—feature sprawling interiors, high-end furniture, and walls adorned with colorful artwork.