Khayalethu Witbooi

Khaya Witbooi was born in 1977 in Uitenhage in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, where he grew up. After matriculating in 1995, he studied draughtsmanship and worked as an illustrator for an architectural firm. During this time, he also freelanced for the Argus newspaper in Cape Town, making court sketches and cartoons, while also painting portraits for various clients. In 2010 he was selected to join the Good Hope Artist’s Studio programme, where he began painting full-time. Today Witbooi, who lists Picasso and South African artist Asha Zero as influences, is renowned for his ‘Afro-pop’ collage-style paintings, which consist of various juxtapositions. He was a top 40 finalist in the SPI National Portrait Awards.