BANELE KHOZA
b. 1994, South AfricaBanele Khoza is an Eswatini-born contemporary artist based in Johannesburg, South Africa, renowned for his figurative abstract paintings exploring queer love, vulnerability, and masculinity. Khosa’s emotionally charged works feature blurred male nudes in vibrant pinks, blues, and purples, often incorporating text and diaristic elements to address intimacy and identity. Khoza has exhibited at major institutions like Zeitz MOCAA and Goodman Gallery, with his art held in prominent collections across South Africa and internationally. His work has also been recognised through major residencies, including the Tracey Emin Foundation’s Victoria House programme in Margate, United Kingdom.
In addition to his studio practice, Banele is the founder of BKhz Gallery, an independent contemporary art space he launched in 2018. Now based in Johannesburg’s Keyes Art Mile, BKhz functions as a platform for emerging and mid-career artists, often foregrounding queer and marginalised voices.
Early life and Education of Banele Khoza
Banele Khoza was born in 1994 in Hlatikulu, Eswatini, and moved to South Africa in 2008 at age 14 for schooling. He briefly studied fashion design at the London International School of Fashion (LISOF) in 2011 before pursuing fine arts, earning a National Diploma (2014) and BTech (2015) from Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) in Pretoria.
Khoza lectured in drawing and art theory at TUT until 2018, when he transitioned to full-time studio practice and founded BKhz Gallery in Johannesburg.
Banele Khoza Artworks and style
Banele Khoza’s paintings blend figuration and abstraction in colourful portraits of male nudes, using acrylics with sometimes fervent, and sometimes fluid, brushstrokes that bleed and drip with emotional intensity.
Early works and developments, 2010s
Khoza’s initial series like Note Making (2017) tackled masculinity through ghostly figures, marking his shift from fashion sketches to bold explorations of queer themes.
Mature practice and key series, 2020s
In works like In My Feels (2020) at BKhz and What’s Left Unsaid (2024) at Goodman Gallery, Khoza incorporates pointillism with ink dots and text, delving into love’s trials with bright palettes and comic captions.
Recent projects and ongoing themes, 2020s
Recent residencies, including Victoria House at TKE Studios (2025) and Cité Internationale des Arts (2017), inform ongoing diaristic paintings on longing and selfhood.
Awards and honours of Banele Khoza
- Gerard Sekoto Award, ABSA L’Atelier (2017), with residency at Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris
- SA Taxi Foundation Art Award overall winner (2017)
Exhibitions of Banele Khoza
Banele Khoza has shown extensively in South Africa, Europe, and beyond, with solos at Goodman Gallery and Zeitz MOCAA highlighting his rise in contemporary art galleries.
Select solo exhibitions
- I was always within and without, Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg (2026)
- What’s Left Unsaid, Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg (2024)
- How Are You Doing?, BKhz, Johannesburg (2023)
- From South Africa (Dear Diary), Kunsthaus Göttingen, Germany (2022)
- Be-Pression, Nil Gallery, Paris (2022)
- LGBTQI+: Banele Khoza, Zeitz MOCAA, Cape Town (2018)
Select group exhibitions
- Victoria House Residency exhibition with Sejiro Avoseh, TKE Studios, Margate, UK (2025)
- FNB Art Joburg (various years, including 2024, 2023)
- 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, London (2023); New York (2022)
Website, Instagram, and Further Reading
View Banele Khoza’s artworks and exhibitions on Ocula. Follow on Instagram @banelekhoza and visit BKhz Gallery at bkhz.art.
This profile was edited by Ocula contributing editor Anna Dickie using verified institutional and gallery sources.
Banele Khoza FAQs
Who is Banele Khoza?
Banele Khoza (b. 1994, Eswatini) is a Johannesburg-based contemporary artist known for figurative abstract paintings of male nudes exploring queer identity, love, and vulnerability through vibrant acrylics and text.
Where does Banele Khoza live and work?
Banele Khoza lives and works in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he founded BKhz Gallery in 2018.
What type of art does Banele Khoza make?
Banele Khoza creates paintings blending figuration and abstraction, featuring blurred, colourful male figures with dripping acrylics, pointillism, and diaristic text addressing emotional intimacy.
Where can I see work by Banele Khoza?
Works by Banele Khoza appear in exhibitions at Goodman Gallery (upcoming 2026 solo), Zeitz MOCAA, and international fairs like 1-54; view on Ocula or visit bkhz.art.
What are Banele Khoza’s major awards?
Banele Khoza won the Gerard Sekoto Award in 2017, earning a Paris residency, and the SA Taxi Foundation Art Award.
What inspires Banele Khoza’s artworks?
Banele Khoza’s artworks draw from personal experiences of queerness, masculinity, and love, using bright palettes to reflect anxieties in a hyper-connected world.
Ocula | 2026
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