Feni Chulumanco (b. 1994) is a South African painter based in Cape Town. Raised in Langa Township, he discovered his artistic potential while attending Isilimela Comprehensive High School, where his teacher, Miss Nkunzi, encouraged him to pursue art. In 2014, he met the painter Ayanda Mabulu at Greatmore Studios. This encounter led to a formative mentorship and introduced him to a wider community of established artists. Artist biography

Chulumanco has held solo exhibitions at EBONY/CURATED in Cape Town and Osart Gallery in Milan. His work was included in Home Is Where the Art Is at Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town in 2020. He is also included in the collection of Carla and Pieter Schulting, which formed the basis of Africa Supernova at Kunsthal KAdE in Amersfoort, the Netherlands, where his paintings were exhibited in 2023 and 2024. Exhibition history, Kunsthal KAdE

Drawing on memories of his upbringing, Chulumanco paints domestic interiors filled with saturated colours, patterned textiles, plants and familiar household objects. These settings recall his grandmother’s home and the care, discipline and family traditions that shaped his childhood. His distinctive figures often appear without facial features, reflecting both an interest in West African masks and his experience of feeling unseen while pursuing an artistic career.

Some figures are enclosed within transparent glass boxes, a recurring motif through which he explores individuality, protection and isolation. These enclosures evoke the private space he created to nurture his ambitions, while also suggesting the shelter provided by the women who raised him. Through this intimate visual language, Chulumanco invites viewers to reflect on identity, personal worth and the environments that allow us to grow. About the practice