Artist Profile : Athenkosi Kwinana 

I met Anthenkosi briefly at the Investec Art Fair. She is a talented artist with a very specific point of view, clearly evident in her work. Her poise and eloquence came through when she expressed the challenges, and at times abuse and violence against those with Albinism.(A.Stokes)

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To view her work please click the link to the

Berman Contemporary website https://bermancontemporary.com/athenkosi-kwinana/              or her Instagram account @kwinanaaaa

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To quote Kwinana, "As a person living with Albinism (PLWA), my artworks focus on the daily lives and interactions of PLWA within South African communities, and the world at large.

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My art practice inquires how black PLWA are currently being represented in contemporary South African visual prejudices around PWA. I therefore explore the visual representation of existing societal issues, my albinotic body, and attitudes around gender, as these pertain to PLWA.

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In doing so, I aspire to deepen understanding of Albinism in South Africa, precisely because black society generally deems PLWA as different, invisible, socially unacceptable and, therefore, subject to abuse. I aim to constructively reimagine the representation of Albinism in South African black communities, in African contemporary art, and within the greater world."

(Copyright Athenkosi Kwinana, 2023,https://bermancontemporary.com/athenkosi-kwinana/)

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Athenkosi Kwinana (b. 1995) is a visual art activist based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Kwinana works in both drawing and printmaking. In 2017, she graduated from the Walter Sisulu University in the Eastern Cape with a National Diploma in Fine Art, earning a Bachelor of Technology in Fine Arts in 2018, before embarking on her Masters in Fine Arts at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), which she completed in 2022.

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In 2018, Kwinana participated in two group shows, Finding Albus, and the Annual Art Exhibition held at Ann Bryant Gallery. She also showcased in a group show, Trial & Error, held at Art and Collect Gallery 37, in 2021. Kwinana put up her first solo exhibition, Reimagining Albus, in 2022, at Number Four in Constitution Hill.

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In 2022, Kwinana was invited to join a five week artist programme with the Admirals Residency in Muizenberg, Cape Town, which she completed in July this year. She was awarded the Cultures Resistance Award and was selected for the Tilga Art Fund, an educational scholarship programme.

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She exhibited in THE ANNUAL WINTER SHOW and SENSES and LENSES at Berman Contemporary, as well as 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair in London. Athenkosi Kwinana is represented by Berman Contemporary.

(Copyright Berman Contemporary, 2023,https://bermancontemporary.com/athenkosi-kwinana/)

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