Kimathi Mafafo

20 September 2022

Kimathi Mafafo is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice ranges from embroidery, oil painting to installation. Born in Kimberley in the Northern Cape of South Africa, Mafafo questions historical stereotypes around gender inequality in Africa. She primarily focuses on celebrating the black female and abstracted forms placing them in often verdant imagery characterized by lush greenery and sensuous drapery, are far removed from the dusty mining town where she grew up.

Her compositions are seductive in their level of detail yet remain curiously flat, emphasizing their highly staged nature and the narrative element, which is central to her work. Her imagery is partly guided by her desire to celebrate the black female form, inspiring women to embrace their own worth and beauty.