🎨 Sanele Skhosana: Painting Change and Breaking Rules

Q: What first inspired you to pursue art?
Sanele: Growing up, I never thought I’d be pursuing art, because nothing really influenced me. But I always had a way to express myself — from drawing anime in high school to making beats. What got me into painting was the piece George Condo did for Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy album cover. That sparked an unending spiral of discovering how I can express myself and reflect the times we’re living in right now.

Q: Who are some artists you look up to?
Sanele: Pablo Picasso has been a big influence for me.

Q: Tell us about Gold Teeth 1, currently at Bantu Kraal Gallery.
Sanele: Gold Teeth 1 carries a message about consumer culture. It’s about how we’re shaped by what we buy and what we value.

Q: What’s your latest project?
Sanele: My newest project is called Change. It’s about how uncomfortable change is — but also how it’s inevitable if you want to grow.

Q: You also have a collection called I Don’t Give a Damn. What’s the story there?
Sanele: That collection is me just experimenting and not putting too much thought into the painting process. I want it to inspire people not to care too much — to just go with feeling.

Q: Where do you find inspiration outside the studio?
Sanele: Music. I think music is the most expressive form of art.

✨ Follow Sanele (Shady) → @shhady_art