Bio
Thero Makepe is an artist and photographer born and raised in Gaborone, Botswana currently working in between Cape Town, Johannesburg and Gaborone. Makepe’s work is informed by past and present narratives related to his upbringing and lived experiences in Botswana and South Africa. Wavering between photographing handmade dioramas, existing landscapes and portraiture, his body of work contains images that evoke anxiety, tragedy and fatality, whereas others reflect calmness, light and eternal rest.
He is also a founding member of the Botswana Pavilion, a collective of young artists from Botswana, concerned with advancing Botswana’s creative development and artistic archive.
Makepe recently completed his Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art with distiniction at the Michaelis School of Fine Art, Cape Town. In 2019, he was awarded the Tierney Fellowship for the Michaelis School of Fine Arts in partnership with the Tierney Fellowship Foundation. In 2020, he was selected as a finalist in the 2020 edition of the Blurring the Lines competition, conducted by the Paris College of Art.
Thero Makepe is an artist and photographer born and raised in Gaborone, Botswana currently working in between Cape Town, Johannesburg and Gaborone. Makepe’s work is informed by past and present narratives related to his upbringing and lived experiences in Botswana and South Africa. Wavering between photographing handmade dioramas, existing landscapes and portraiture, his body of work contains images that evoke anxiety, tragedy and fatality, whereas others reflect calmness, light and eternal rest.
He is also a founding member of the Botswana Pavilion, a collective of young artists from Botswana, concerned with advancing Botswana’s creative development and artistic archive.
Makepe recently completed his Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art with distiniction at the Michaelis School of Fine Art, Cape Town. In 2019, he was awarded the Tierney Fellowship for the Michaelis School of Fine Arts in partnership with the Tierney Fellowship Foundation. In 2020, he was selected as a finalist in the 2020 edition of the Blurring the Lines competition, conducted by the Paris College of Art.
Group Exhibitions
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
Collections
The University of Cape Town (UCT) Works of Art Collection
Awards
Blurring The Lines, Paris College of Art, (Finalist), 2020
Simon Gerson Prize, 2019
The Tierney Fellowship Award, 2019
Press
Global Art Daily
Artthrob
Artthrob
Let's Be Brief
The Daily Vox
Design Indaba
Centre for Curating the Archive - University Of Cape Town
Kalahari Review
Between 10 And 5
Michaelis School of Fine Art
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
Collections
The University of Cape Town (UCT) Works of Art Collection
Awards
Blurring The Lines, Paris College of Art, (Finalist), 2020
Simon Gerson Prize, 2019
The Tierney Fellowship Award, 2019
Press
Global Art Daily
Artthrob
Artthrob
Let's Be Brief
The Daily Vox
Design Indaba
Centre for Curating the Archive - University Of Cape Town
Kalahari Review
Between 10 And 5
Michaelis School of Fine Art
© Thero Makepe 2021