Mmabatho Grace Mokalapa was born in Soweto (1992). Mokalapa’s interest in science, astronomy and philosophy since childhood is evident in her work. Mokalapa earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Witwatersrand (2015) and later became a recipient of The Studio Bursary at Assemblage Studios funded by the African Arts Trust. She is currently working as an independent artist at Victoria Yards.

“My work is focused on the subjective experience(s) of spaces. My interests lie in spatial voids and spaces that are often depersonalized, hostile, infinite and yet also uncanny and transcendental. My work draws from an interest in how our psyche and ideas of “self” are transformed through an encounter with an external stimulus. I believe that transcendental spaces have the ability to affect our perception and understanding of our bodies within them. As we encounter these spaces, our psychological, aesthetic and physical relations shift, whilst simultaneously allowing us to imagine ourselves within a space that is part reality and part fiction.

I explore this relationship with space through drawings, paintings, sculptures and installation works. My intention is to create an environment in which the viewer is transported away from the outside world. My works are suggestive of imaginary or otherworldly spaces that evoke emotions of anticipation which evoke mind-body and space encounters with the void.”