Bio
Thero Makepe is an artist born and raised in Gaborone, Botswana. He currently works between Gabarone, Cape Town and Johannesburg. Makepe completed his Bachelor of Fine Art with distinction at the University of Cape Town, majoring in photography.
Makepe, currently focused on photography, his practice reflects on personal and societal narratives of his upbringing in Botswana and South Africa.
Makepe is also a founding member of the Botswana Pavillion, an artist collective dedicated to developing Botswana’s artistic archive.
Contact
theromakepe@gmail.com
Solo Exhibitions
We Didn’t Choose to be Born Here, Lemkus Gallery, Cape Town, 2025
We Didn’t Choose to be Born Here, Format25 International Photography Festival, Museum of Making, Derby, UK, 2025
It’s Not Going to Get Better, Vela Projects, Cape Town, 2024
Group Exhibitions
Foam Talent 2024, Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation, Frankfurt/Eschborn, 2025
Grammars: A Group Exhibition, Lemkus Gallery, Cape Town, 2024
Process Projected: Tender Photo, What Is Happening Here Gallery, Amsterdam, 2024
The Purpose is Discourse, Curators’ Kiki, Stevenson, Johannesburg, 2024
Foam Talent 2024-2025, Foam Museum, Amsterdam, 2024
INDEX | The Orchid and The Wasp: Thin Lines of Becoming, Latitudes Art Fair, Johannesburg, 2024
Becoming Visible | Online Image Gallery, Autograph, 2024
Yo O Sa Leleng, Botswana National Museum, Gaborone, 2023
Good Neighbours, NIROX Sculpture Park, Johannesburg, 2022
The Botswana Pavilion: Maš(w)i a Ditoro (tsa Rona), Sakhile&Me, Frankfurt, 2022
Unfinished Camp (with the Botswana Pavilion), The Shed NY & Art Basel, 2021
Joe Prussian presents PREMISE , The Box (Old Atterbury St.), Cape Town, 2021
The Botswana Pavilion - Collective Ties, Virtual Exhibtion, 2020
CONTESTED SPACE | WATER IS LAND IS AIR, Virtual Exhibtion for Latitudes Art Fair, 2020
a_part: Qurantine Collabortion, Virtual Exhibtion, 2020
Michaelis Gradshow, Michaelis Galleries, Cape Town, 2019
The Botswana Pavilion - Subjective Nationhood, Botswana National Gallery, Gaborone, 2019
The Room, BG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA, 2019
The Botswana Pavilion – No Return, Gallery Momo, Cape Town, 2019
Hue and Hue – group pop up exhibition, Monolith Studios, 140 Canterbury St., Cape Town, 2019
Publications
Foam Magazine #65: Talent
GIDA Journal Vol. III
Blurring the Lines 2020
Collections
The University of Cape Town Works of Art Collection
The University of Pretoria Art Collection
Grants and Awards
British Journal of Photography Article: FORMAT25 Award Winner, 2025
Prince Claus Seed Award, 2024
Der Greif Guest Room Scholarship : Damarice Amao & Matthias Pfaller, 2023
FOAM Talent, 2024-2025
The Claire and Edoardo Villa Will Trust, 2022
Blurring The Lines (Finalist) , Paris College of Art, 2020
The Tierney Fellowship Award, 2019
Simon Gerson Prize, 2019
Residencies
The MEP residency – Gervanne Collection + Matthias Leridon – Cité internationale des arts, 2023
Articles & Interviews
Aesthetica Magazine
Artthrob
Artthrob
Between 10 And 5
Booooooom
Booooooom
British Journal of Photography
British Journal of Photography
Der Greif
Global Art Daily
i-D
Photoworks
theSystem
Tender Photo
Tique
Tombe Magazine
We Didn’t Choose to be Born Here, Lemkus Gallery, Cape Town, 2025
We Didn’t Choose to be Born Here, Format25 International Photography Festival, Museum of Making, Derby, UK, 2025
It’s Not Going to Get Better, Vela Projects, Cape Town, 2024
Group Exhibitions
Foam Talent 2024, Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation, Frankfurt/Eschborn, 2025
Grammars: A Group Exhibition, Lemkus Gallery, Cape Town, 2024
Process Projected: Tender Photo, What Is Happening Here Gallery, Amsterdam, 2024
The Purpose is Discourse, Curators’ Kiki, Stevenson, Johannesburg, 2024
Foam Talent 2024-2025, Foam Museum, Amsterdam, 2024
INDEX | The Orchid and The Wasp: Thin Lines of Becoming, Latitudes Art Fair, Johannesburg, 2024
Becoming Visible | Online Image Gallery, Autograph, 2024
Yo O Sa Leleng, Botswana National Museum, Gaborone, 2023
Good Neighbours, NIROX Sculpture Park, Johannesburg, 2022
The Botswana Pavilion: Maš(w)i a Ditoro (tsa Rona), Sakhile&Me, Frankfurt, 2022
Unfinished Camp (with the Botswana Pavilion), The Shed NY & Art Basel, 2021
Joe Prussian presents PREMISE , The Box (Old Atterbury St.), Cape Town, 2021
The Botswana Pavilion - Collective Ties, Virtual Exhibtion, 2020
CONTESTED SPACE | WATER IS LAND IS AIR, Virtual Exhibtion for Latitudes Art Fair, 2020
a_part: Qurantine Collabortion, Virtual Exhibtion, 2020
Michaelis Gradshow, Michaelis Galleries, Cape Town, 2019
The Botswana Pavilion - Subjective Nationhood, Botswana National Gallery, Gaborone, 2019
The Room, BG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA, 2019
The Botswana Pavilion – No Return, Gallery Momo, Cape Town, 2019
Hue and Hue – group pop up exhibition, Monolith Studios, 140 Canterbury St., Cape Town, 2019
Publications
Foam Magazine #65: Talent
GIDA Journal Vol. III
Blurring the Lines 2020
Collections
The University of Cape Town Works of Art Collection
The University of Pretoria Art Collection
Grants and Awards
British Journal of Photography Article: FORMAT25 Award Winner, 2025
Prince Claus Seed Award, 2024
Der Greif Guest Room Scholarship : Damarice Amao & Matthias Pfaller, 2023
FOAM Talent, 2024-2025
The Claire and Edoardo Villa Will Trust, 2022
Blurring The Lines (Finalist) , Paris College of Art, 2020
The Tierney Fellowship Award, 2019
Simon Gerson Prize, 2019
Residencies
The MEP residency – Gervanne Collection + Matthias Leridon – Cité internationale des arts, 2023
Articles & Interviews
Aesthetica Magazine
Artthrob
Artthrob
Between 10 And 5
Booooooom
Booooooom
British Journal of Photography
British Journal of Photography
Der Greif
Global Art Daily
i-D
Photoworks
theSystem
Tender Photo
Tique
Tombe Magazine