58 - ‡ MPHO FENI (SOUTH AFRICAN B.1995)

‡ MPHO FENI (SOUTH AFRICAN B.1995) ULONWABO acrylic on canvas 120 x 100cm (124 x 104cm framed) Painted in 2023 Property from an Important International Collection Provenance Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner Mpho Feni is a Cape Town-based contemporary painter whose celebratory figurative works document modern African identity. After graduating with an Advanced Diploma in Public Administration from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in 2020, Feni broke away from traditional career expectations to pursue a lifelong calling on the canvas. His rise within the contemporary art world includes critically acclaimed solo exhibitions and showcases at prominent South African institutions, including WORLDART, Eclectica Contemporary, and the Christopher Moller Gallery. Grounded in the collective philosophy of Ubuntu, the belief that our humanity is intrinsically linked to others, his paintings actively capture family milestones and everyday communal joy. In Ulonwabo, Feni showcases his signature, poetic departure from traditional representation. By intentionally rendering his human forms in soft, dreamlike shades of pink rather than natural skin tones, he moves beyond identity politics to explore a universal human essence. Set against his characteristic, minimalist white background, this striking use of pink creates a threshold of absolute stillness, inviting viewers to transcend societal categories and slow down to appreciate the shared memories that unite us all.