Biography
Thato S. Nhlapo is a South African Artist, born and raised in a township north of Heidelberg, called Ratanda. He was born in 1990 and trained at the Vaal University of Technology in Vanderbijlpark. Graduated for his BTech in fine art in 2014, currently practicing art on a full time basis.
Nhlapo has participated in several group exhibitions. He has produced work for several individuals as commissions and done some charity work, namely at the Thabo Vuyo primary (School for children with special needs) where he and his fellow class mates of 2011 painted murals for the nursery and grade 0 classes. In 2012 one of his artworks was selected by the Visual Arts and Design panel of VUT to exhibit in “The best of 2011” where several students’ works were shown to the rest of the campus in Budutu Gallery. Later in the same year his work was selected to be part of the North and South exhibition. In 2013 his painting was selected on the top 100 and was part of that exhibition at Thami Mnyele Fine Arts awards. The FNB Joburg art Fair 2014 among others.
Nhlapo is the 2014 recipient of the Reinhold Cassier art award at the Bag factory Funded by Nadine Gordimer that offers emerging South African artists under the age of 35, in the field of drawing or painting, and the opportunity to spend a period of approximately three months at Bag factory’s studios. He ended his residency with a joint exhibition titled ‘A great perhaps’ with Kenyan artist Jackie Karuti.
