Themba Sibeko is a South African artist whose work unfolds within a resolutely figurative realm.
In contrast to the emerging contemporary African art scene — often and rightfully focused on celebrating the continent’s heritage and cultural traditions — Themba draws his inspiration from Western figurative painting, with influences ranging from Degas to Hockney.
He absorbs this artistic lineage while redefining it through his own South African identity. A self-taught painter, Sibeko explores human connections through narrative compositions that capture intimate, cinematic moments between his subjects.
To make his stories as universal as possible, he never depicts faces. Emotions and interactions are instead conveyed through gestures, postures, and body language. His aim is not to reproduce reality, but to reveal what his imagination retains from it. The human body holds a central place in his work — often symbolic, sometimes distorted — serving as the cornerstone of his storytelling and the vessel of emotion.
Sibeko describes his paintings as film scenes, each one carefully crafted to tell a specific story. Like a cinematographer, he uses light and color as essential elements — shaping space, setting the mood, and drawing the viewer instantly into the atmosphere of the canvas.
