Sizwe Khoza was born two years before the end of the Civil War in his country of birth in Mozambique and moved to South Africa in 1995.

He matriculated in 2010 from Nkumbulo Comprehensive School and during his matric year attended Saturday classes at Artist Proof Studio, Khoza graduated from Artist Proof Studio in 2012, 2013 he was offered a residency at William Humphrey Art Gallery (WHAG) in Kimberley under the mentorship of the late Dumisani Mabaso.

Khoza has participated in numerous group exhibitions locally.  In 2020 he had a solo exhibition at the Boston Arts Academy in the United States and was awarded the Ampersand Foundation Fellowship in the same year.  Rand Merchant Investment commissioned a large monotype, ‘The First Meeting’, and Hollard Insurance reproduced one of his artworks as a mural on a wall in their Parktown campus in 2017.

Artist Statement

I focus on portraits to tell the story from the eyes and other facial features that form interesting expressions. I use monotypes (once off) to express the fact that life never repeats itself, actions and moves may be repeated but the outcomes are never the same. This is true of the game of chess too.

In my more recent work, I have been looking at youth and children in particular. I’m always intrigued by how kids live life. They seem to enjoy each moment without worry about tomorrow and live with joy and wonder for all the things around them, with so much to explore.

My work tries to capture what I see and hope for the future.

“I’m always intrigued by how kids live life, enjoying each moment without worrying about tomorrow, living with joy and wonder for all the things that surrounds them, and with so much to explore.” Sizwe Khoza on the James Series.

Flowers are always perceived as a feminine thing, in this case James is embedded with flower patterns on his skin, similar to “Japanese body tattoos” which symbolise STRENGTH.

The blind embossing symbolises the light which will always guide & protect this young King, not forgetting James is still a kid with potential to become anything hence the changing of characters throughout his body of work.