Katlego Tlabela (b.1993 in Tshwane, South Africa; lives and works in Tshwane) is a multidisciplinary artist whose paintings reimagine luxury as a form of cultural reclamation. As a young boy, he was first exposed to art while watching his uncle draw in the sand of their home village in South Africa.
This body of work, painted exclusively for Martin Projects’ solo presentation at ExpoChicago 2025, depicts carefully constructed settings of opulence and power, challenging traditional narratives by celebrating Black affluence and success. He draws inspiration from social media, rap and Black thought leaders like Kerry James Marshall and Elizabeth Catlett, crafting a visual language that merges personal aspiration and collective empowerment. Through his focus on high-end domestic environments, Tlabela offers a vision of Black excellence that is both fictional and attainable, encouraging a reimagining of identity and belonging in post-apartheid South Africa.
Tlabela received an Honors Degree from the Michaelis School of Fine Art at the University of Cape Town in 2017. His work has been exhibited at institutions such as the Kunstmuseum Basel, the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town and the African Artists’ Foundation in Lagos. He has participated in group shows in Lagos, London, Milan and New York and his work has been presented at art fairs including Frieze London, FIAC, Miart, 1-54 London and New York, and Liste Art Fair Basel. His work stands in the permanent collections of Foundation H in Madagascar, the Jorge Perez Collection in Miami and the Ditau Collection in Cape Town.
