Artist Focus: Lwando Dlamini

Lwando Dlamini (b. 1992, Eastern Cape) is a South African visual artist who divides his time between Cape Town and Johannesburg. Raised in the Western Cape, Dlamini works primarily in oil and mixed media, often layering materials like thread, bandages, and zippers to build richly textured, emotionally charged surfaces. His art is deeply personal—shaped by experiences of childhood illness, paralysis after a coma, and moments of confronting violence and injustice. Through these, he explores the body as both fragile and powerful, a vessel of memory, pain, and survival.

After graduating from the Ruth Prowse School of Art in 2017, Dlamini quickly began to make his mark. He’s shown his work at major fairs and received recognition through awards and residencies, including the David Koloane Award and selection as an Absa L’Atelier finalist. His paintings are instantly recognisable—bold in colour, layered in feeling, and full of movement. Figures emerge distorted yet alive, embodying both vulnerability and strength. His 2020 solo exhibition Triumph spoke powerfully to themes of trauma, healing, and reclaiming agency.

In 2025, Dlamini took part in a two-month residency at Villa Greppi in Italy, an experience that profoundly influenced his practice. The Artist’s Residences Project at Villa Greppi opens the historic estate to artists from around the world, offering them studio space, accommodation, and, perhaps most importantly, time to reflect, experiment, and connect. The program aims to nurture cultural exchange and creative dialogue—values that resonate deeply with Dlamini’s own artistic vision.

During his time in Italy, he found inspiration in the people he met—their faces, gestures, and ways of being. In his signature style, combining elements of cubism, expressionism, and street art, Dlamini reimagined these individuals by giving them black skin. It was a poetic act—an expression of cultural exchange and human connection that blurred the boundaries of identity and belonging. His residency culminated in the exhibition Colour, curated by Simon Bartolena, where these works became portraits not just of others, but of empathy and shared experience.