Mbali Tshabalala

Mbali Tshabalala (b. 1988) is a multidisciplinary artist, curator and creative entrepreneur from South Africa. She works with collage, painting, printmaking, drawing and photography to explore the intersectionality of black women’s experiences. Her artwork intertwines ancient African knowledge systems with contemporary lived experiences through storytelling that reflects this cultural collision and its consequences. Tshabalala's work challenges dominant narratives concerning mental health, femininity, and African spirituality. Central to her artistic expression is her own identity, particularly within the context of a post-colonial African city. “I critique the collision between indigenous culture and a Eurocentric urban landscape, highlighting the neglect and its impact on mental health,” she says. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Fine and Applied Arts from Tshwane University of Technology. She studied printmaking at Artist Proofs Studio, which complemented her background in Graphic Design and Darkroom photography. For seven years, Tshabalala worked in the curatorial and in arts administration before launching her career as a full time artist in 2019. Prior to focusing entirely on her art, Tshabalala held prominent roles including assistant curator at the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA). Her curatorial credits include leading initiatives like The Joburg Fringe Young Capital. Driven by an entrepreneurial spirit, Tshabalala founded Collective UNTITLD and Anecdotes Gallery, further contributing to South Africa's vibrant art scene. Mbali Tshabalala first collaborated with David Krut Projects in 2019 when she created a silkscreen edition for Latitudes LIMITED for the first ever Latitudes Art Fair. In 2021, Tshabalala worked with printer Sbongiseni Khulu to make a series of monoprints. In September 2022 Mbali’s work was showcased at the David Krut Projects booth at the Joburg Art Fair, and in 2023 she was one of the three artists representing David Krut Projects at Latitudes Art Fair with brand new prints created at the David Krut Workshop with Sbonghiseni Khulu in the months prior.