About The Artist

Artist Biography

I’m a visual artist and curator based in Johannesburg. I’m a Fine Art graduate from Tshwane university of Technology. My work has been exhibited in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Cape town and Grahamstown. I am the recipient of the Reinhold Cassirer award for 2015 and was in residence at the Bag Factory Artist Studio in Fordsburg, Johannesburg. I have curated several exhibitions in the Southern African region (including Maputo and Harare) for Capital Arts Revolution [an artist’s collective from Pretoria], and Social Life of Waste [S.L.O.W] Art - a network of artists, researchers, writers, gardeners and community developers working within the discourse of waste. I’ve facilitated art workshops for schools in association with Capital Arts Revolution and the American Embassy.

My work varies between drawing, installation, murals, bio-art, photography, digital and video art. A collaborative land art installation was shown at the Venice Biennale 2015-16 at the South African architectural pavilion as part of the Cool Capital biennale. I formed part of the Talent Unlocked Programme facilitated by Visual Arts Network of South Africa (VANSA) and Assemblage. I was chosen as 1 of 10 finalists for ‘Continuing Conversations – UJ portrait award 2018.

A recent project is the 'NUMBERS' exhibition curated by myself- a collaborative multi-disciplinary exhibition featuring an interactive multimedia installation and a group show of selected female artists showed at Hazard Gallery, Johannesburg. I was recently in an artist residency at Southern African Foundation for Contemporary Art (SAFFCA) in Knysna, 2018. I’m currently in a ‘Artists in Schools’ programme with Sibikwa Arts Centre, as an art facilitator working at a primary school.

Artist CV

Education and training:

• 2019: Sibikwa Arts Centre ‘Artists in Schools’ training programme.
• 2018: RMB Talent Unlocked Artist Career Development Programme
• 2014: National Diploma Fine Arts, Tshwane University of Technology
• 2009: Education Assistance and Tour Guide Programme, Pretoria Art Museum.

Exhibitions

2018:

• ‘Continuing Conversations’ UJ Portrait award. FADA Kingsway, Johannesburg.
• ‘Drawing Conclusions’. Pretoria Arts Association.
• ‘Numbers’. Hazard Project Space. Johannesburg.
• RMB Talent Unlocked. RMB Turbine Art Fair.
• Lizamore & Associates Gallery. RMB Turbine Art Fair.
• ‘The Graduates Show’. RMB Turbine Art Fair.
• ‘Radical Feminomic Transformation’. Daville Gallery. Victoria Yards.
• BUKA Arts exhibition. J&B Hive, Braamfontein.
• ‘Art@First’. Pop up exhibition at RMB.

2017:

• ‘Spectrum’, Group exhibition at Circa Gallery, Johannesburg.
• ‘Bookness Colloquium: artist book exhibition’. FADA Gallery, Johannesburg.
• ‘Untitled 3.99’. 99 Loop Gallery. Cape Town.
• ‘As if Nothing Happened’. Trent Gallery, Pretoria.

2016:

• ‘Saatjies’, Anton Van Wouw House, Pretoria.
• ’72 hours Exhibition’, No End Contemporary Gallery, Johannesburg.
• ‘The Order of Chaos’, In Toto Gallery, Birdhaven, Johannesburg.
• ‘Hook Up’, Ellis House, Johannesburg.
• Cool Capital Biennale, South African Pavillion, Venice.
• David Krut Gallery, Turbine Art Fair, Turbine Hall, Johannesburg.
• ‘Continuum’, Ntsikana Gallery, Settler’s monument, Grahamstown.
• ‘RAW’, Conte Magazine, University of Johannesburg, Bunting Road, Johannesburg.
• ‘IDAHOT‘, Alliance Françoise, Pretoria.
• ‘New Drawings’, Trent Gallery, Pretoria.
• Cape Town Art Fair. Bag Factory Artists booth.
• ‘The Other’. Trent Gallery. 198 Long Street, Waterkloof, Pretoria.
• ‘Lights, camera’. Site Office, 177 Umkomaas Str., Ashley Gardens, Pretoria.
• ‘Student Exhibition’. Longstreet Art Lovers Gallery. Waterkloof, Pretoria.
• ‘Impressions’. SoMa Art Space. 300 Commissioner Street, Johannesburg.
• ‘Continuum’. Bag Factory Artist Studios. 10 Mahlathini Street, Fordsburg.

2015:

• Thami Mnyele Art Competition 2015. Mooifontein Rd, Birchleigh North, Kempton Park.
• ‘Letters to the Past and the Future’. Trent Gallery. 198 Long Str. Pretoria.
• ‘Die Dowe Digters’. Voortrekker Monument, Pretoria.
• Capital Arts Revolution ‘On the Road’. Nature’s Valley, Eastern Cape.
• Duo-exhibition with Nhlanhla Dumakude. Trent Gallery. 198 Long Str. Pretoria.
• ‘Miniature Exhibition’. Long Street Art Lovers Gallery. 198 Long Str. Pretoria.
• ‘Miniature Exhibition’. Long Street Art Lovers Gallery. 198 Long Str. Pretoria.
• COOL Capital Biennale ‘Site-Specific Art’. Mamelodi East, Pretoria.
• ‘Live Art Mural’. Capital Arts Revolution. 4178 The Village Road, Pretoria.
• Open House Exhibition: ‘Area 2’. 385 Reitz Str. Pretoria.

Publications & Interviews

• Visibility of Women Centre – Numbers Exhibition. SABC News.
• Creative Feel – Keneilwe Mokoena advances collaboration through Numbers
• Art Africa Magazine – Numbers Exhibition by Keneilwe Mokoena
• RMB Talent Unlocked Catalogue 2018.
• ENCA News. Young Now Exhibition at Hazard Gallery. 2017
• Interview with Bubblegum Club Magazine: Combining Art and Biology
• Creative Conversations: The Pursuit of Silence. Between 10and5 online magazine.
• 2016 Cool Capital Biennale catalogue 2014/15. Site Specific Art. “Mamelodi Mandala”.
• Kutula Magazine. In Conversation: Ke Neil We.
• Between 10 and 5 Creative Showcase. Keneilwe Mokoena: Finding Harmony between Order and Chaos.
• SC4K Blog. Dare to be great: Ke Neil We.

Awards: