Themba Nhlapo (they/them), born in 2000 in eMalahleni, discovered their passion for art in high school, inspired by the influence of their art teacher.
This early encouragement led them to pursue a BA in Fine Arts at the University of Pretoria, from which they graduated in 2023. Now based in the City of Tshwane, Nhlapo identifies as a visual archivist, using their art to affirm and explore their experiences as a Black queer person in contemporary South Africa.
Their work has been exhibited in several galleries across Mpumalanga and Gauteng, including Trent Gallery, Mbombela Art Gallery, and the Pretoria Art Museum.
Nhlapo has been recognised for their talent, being selected among the top 100 in the Sasol New Signatures Art Competition in both 2023 and 2024, and in 2021, they were also placed in the top 100 of the Thami Mnyele Fine Art Award.
