Naledi Tshegofatso Modupi is a South African based, contemporary multi-dimensional visual artist and illustrator. She is best known for her distinct style of portraiture, “versatility and her ability to seamlessly maneuver between digital art territories and traditional art mediums at a seasoned level”.
Modupi her developed styled of semi-abstract portraiture showcases the individuality, bravery and energy of each of her subjects through the use of the elements of art such as shape and colour. Her style of art recognisable for its presence of vibrant colours and “continuous lines that define each face distinctly. These colors are also symbolic of her interest in celebrating the beauty of blackness and all the qualities associated with being a woman. Her work is deeply connected to this idea; it serves as an authentic celebration for women’s personalities and selfhood”.
Her expression of honouring the beauty of black people through art is also a “release emotions associated with the injustices and challenges faced by people” who resemble her. This is achieved through the various contexts created around her subjects through “digital illustrations or acrylic paint on cotton and weaved canvas boards – showcasing the beauty of her subjects from different aesthetic standpoints”.
Viewers that resonate with her artworks will find that they inspire confidence and awaken hope while witnessing what black beauty looks like to Modupi, “as she sees her work as a reflection of the faces surrounding her, accompanied by a beautiful array of colours, shapes, and patterns”.
Naledi Modupi has done many collaborations and participated in various exhibitions. She’s currently participating Constellations: Global Reflections (CGR) which is a unique, outdoor, public art
exhibition featuring twenty-one international, contemporary artists, which are in viewing in three
locations on the island of Kura Kura Bali from November 2022 – November 2023. She also created the Ikhaya Nothando EP art cover for Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
