Kamohelo Blessing Rooi is a South African artist born in the province of Gauteng in 2001. Rooi's work centres around the artist's personal connection to the township and interrogates the emotional landscape of Soweto, where he currently lives and works.

Rooi's interest in the arts was first initiated through 'arts and crafts', classes where he was introduced to Nelson Makamo, Wonder Buhle Mbambo and Jean Michel Basquiat, who became significant influences.

Working primarily in Acrylic on Canvas, Rooi has established his style through a series titled; 'Kasiflavour' which translates to 'Location Flavour', highlighting his deep affection for the township. Rooi paints stills, culled from both his own photobook collection and personal experiences to capture Soweto's nocturnal allure through his use of bright colours and flat brush strokes.

The moments captured in Rooi's paintings are the result of a delicate balance between recollection and interpretation. Whether it's an intimate moment between friends or figures staged against the Sowetan landscape - Rooi's reverence for his richly diverse home and its inhabitants is paramount.

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2025
RMB Latitudes Art Fair, EBONY/CURATED, Franschhoek, South Africa
Investec Cape Town Art Fair, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa

2024
'A Very Loop Street Summer III', EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa
'...as we see it', EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa
'A Wall of Aspiration', Homie.Lover.Friend, Johannesburg, South Africa
'REKAOFELA', The Manor, Johannesburg, South Africa

2023
'Hiatus', EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa
'Home Away From Home', The Manor, Keyes Art Mile, Johannesburg, South Africa

COLLECTIONS
The Spier Art Collection, Cape Town, South Africa
First Rand Collection, Johannesburg, South Africa

PRESS

2023
Five @ Five: with Blessing Rooi. 2023 [online]. [August 25] Available from: https://wotbwm.wordpress.com/2023/08/25/five-five-with-blessing-rooi/

Blessing Rooi captures capture Soweto’s nocturnal charm through his art. 2024 [online]. [October 3] Available from: https://iqhawemagazine.com/kamohelo-blessing-rooi/.