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BOYCE MAGANDELA

BOYCE MAGANDELA (b. 1979) lives and works in Cape Town, South Africa.

After matriculating, Magandela joined the Community Arts Project (CAP), where he obtained a certificate in Ceramics, Printmaking, Painting and Drawing. His multidisciplinary training laid the foundation for a practice that resists confinement to a single medium or formal language.

“I am constantly looking for the best way to interpret the ideas that I have about my experiences and don’t limit myself to one medium or concept,” he says.

A defining element of Magandela’s practice is his use of needle and thread — a technique he learnt from his mother at a young age. His embroidered works on blankets are deeply personal and culturally resonant. Within his cultural context, blankets are not merely objects of warmth and protection; they carry symbolic meaning tied to heritage, ritual and ceremony. By working directly onto these surfaces, Magandela transforms them into powerful vehicles of expression, layering memory, identity and lived experience into tactile, intimate artworks.

An impressive aspect of his work is his ability to render figures with remarkable expressiveness using the most economical line. A slight shift in contour or gesture is enough to convey mood, vulnerability or quiet strength. During his studies he received extensive drawing training, including work in graphic novels — a discipline that sharpens narrative clarity and emotional immediacy. This grounding is evident in his practice, where line carries both structure and story.

Magandela has been involved in many workshops and exhibitions in South Africa and abroad.

EDUCATION:

• Certificate in Ceramics, Printmaking, Painting and Drawing, Community Arts Project (CAP), Cape Town

AWARDS:

• 2005 Finalist in Brett Kebble Art Awards

• 2004 Top 10 finalist in ABSA L’atelier art competition

For more information, contact Charl Bezuidenhout at info@worldart.co.za or on +27 (0)21 423 3075 or visit www.worldart.co.za