‘The premise of my work currently, is to explore themes that articulate the repressed impulses of the Black Figure. I feel that in this cannon that is Black Figuration, the black figure is approaching a point where it has been subdued and domesticated to the point where it is no longer considered to be ‘dangerous’. Hence the term, “The Wild Zulu”, the working title for a series of paintings that signal a pivotal moment in my body of work as an artist.' - Thando Phenyane

Born in 1997, Thando Phenyane is a South African visual artist, best known for his eclectic blend of architectural, artistic, and design elements. Influenced by his formal architectural background, his artistic style fuses elements of traditional and digital mediums. Phenyane's recent works signify a turning point in his practice, as he delves into themes that unveil the suppressed impulses of the Black Figure, challenging its domestication and reaffirming its inherent vigor.

Having been inducted into the 2021 Class of Design Indaba’s Emerging Creatives program, his digital drawings from the DRUM BOYS series, subsequently featured in The Turbine Art Fair Graduate show held in Johannesburg in 2022. In 2023, he turned his full attention to the traditional medium of painting. His body of work titled “Fear Evil Like Fire”, from which he exhibited two paintings at Blank Projects’ Winter Group Show curated by Fede Arthouse is a series of medium scale paintings that introduce his audience to the curious Black Figure; where the tensed and almost pensive postures of the figures put forward a stark and unsettling melancholy.

GROUP SHOWS

2024
'A Very Loop Street Summer III', Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
'...as we see it', EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa
'Figures (In)Flux', Eclectica Contemporary, Cape Town, South Africa

2023
'Fullhouse', Blank Projects, Cape Town, South Africa

2022
'TAF Talent - Grad Show', Turbine Art Fair Johannesburg, South Africa

2021
'DRUM BOYS & PONDO', 99 Loop, Cape Town, South Africa

PUBLICATIONS

Mail & Guardian
Visi Magazine
Issue Artsy.Net
10and5
Art Times
Wanted Online