Where the work has walked

“Each exhibition is a chapter in a journey, not just of art, but of spirit.”

- Nelson Makamo

Nelson Makamo’s work has travelled far, carried not just by collectors and curators, but by a force deeper than geography: resonance. His exhibitions, like his portraits, are encounters. Between soul and surface. Between viewer and vision. Between Africa and the world.

From the cobblestone streets of Paris to the canyons of Los Angeles, from solemn halls in Scotland to sun-drenched studios in Cape Town, each exhibition invites the world to meet Makamo’s subjects: the dreamers, the defiant, the joyful, the becoming.

Below is a glimpse into where the work has breathed and been held. Where walls became windows into new ways of seeing.

Photograph by Jack Hall / BFA

Nelson Makamo returns home for his first solo exhibition in Modimolle

Photography by NM Studio

Pride of Modimolle, a celebration of art, healing, and homecoming

Modimolle, Limpopo — Internationally acclaimed South African artist Nelson Makamo returns to his hometown for the first time to present a landmark solo exhibition titled Pride of Modimolle, in partnership with Hope for the Blind Trust. The exhibition marks a profound homecoming for Makamo, a celebration of his journey, his roots, and the power of art to inspire healing and hope.

Hosted at the First Light exhibition space within the Hope for the Blind Clinic in Modimolle, Pride of Modimolle stands at the intersection of art and purpose. It is a living collaboration that unites Makamo’s creative legacy with the humanitarian mission of Hope for the Blind, whose work restores sight and dignity to thousands across Limpopo each year.

For the people of Modimolle and the broader Limpopo province, this moment represents more than an exhibition, it is a historic return of one of their own, an artist whose global success continues to shine a light on where he comes from. In recognition of his contribution to the arts and his philanthropic efforts, Nelson Makamo was officially honoured as “The Pride of Modimolle” by the leaders of the Modimolle-Mookgophong Municipality at the exhibition’s formal opening on 15 November 2025.

A homecoming rooted in purpose

Born and raised in the township of Phagameng, Modimolle, Makamo’s story is one of perseverance and purpose. From sketching as a young boy in Limpopo to gracing the cover of TIME Magazine, his journey has become a source of pride and inspiration for countless South Africans.

It is particularly significant that Makamo’s work continues to depict the people and landscapes of his community, the faces of children, the tenderness of everyday life, and the spirit of resilience that defines Modimolle. Through both his art and his actions, he reflects the beauty, dignity, and possibility that exist within rural South Africa.

Art meets healing: The first light project

The Pride of Modimolle exhibition forms part of the First Light Project, a Hope for the Blind initiative that presents art to patients experiencing restored vision for the first time. For many, Makamo’s artworks are the first images they see. A deeply symbolic encounter between art and sight, beauty and restoration.

Each piece on exhibition is available for purchase, with a portion of proceeds supporting life-changing cataract surgeries and the sustainability of Hope for the Blind’s mission. Through this collaboration, Makamo’s art becomes not only a celebration of life but a direct contribution to it, a gesture of gratitude to the community that shaped him.

Photograph by Jack Hall / BFA

Selected Solo Exhibitions

2022 — BLUE, Jac Forbes Gallery, Malibu, USA
2021 — BLUE, Independent Showcase, Los Angeles, USA
2021 — FORTITUDE, Makasiini Contemporary Gallery, Turku, Finland
2021 — Human Grace, Everard Read, Cape Town, RSA
2020 — Botho, Motho, Batho, Botho Project Space, Johannesburg, RSA
2019 — NELSON MAKAMO IN, Paris, France
2017 — Souls of Azania, Gallery of African Arts, London, UK
2016 — Re-awakening, Everard Read Gallery, Cape Town, RSA
2015 — New Works, CIRCA, Johannesburg, RSA
2014 — Generations, Everard Read Gallery, Cape Town, RSA
2014 — A New Lease on Life, Everard Read Gallery, Johannesburg, RSA
2010 — Movement, Factory Gallery, RSA
2009 — Sharing Realities II, African Studies Centre, Leiden, Netherlands
2009 — Walk with Me, UTS Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
2009 — A Place I Call Home, Gallery on the Square, Johannesburg, RSA
2008 — Moving into Light, KZNSA Gallery, Durban, RSA
2008 — Sharing Realities, Gallery Izarte, Zutphen, Netherlands
2005 — Walk with Me, Obert Contemporary Art Gallery, Johannesburg, RSA

Selected Group Exhibitions

2021 — Emancipate Imaginaries, AKAA x Manifesta, Lyon, France
2020 — SAY IT LOUD, Christie’s, New York City, USA
2019 — AKAA, Paris, France
2018 — 1:54, Gallery of African Art, London, UK
2018 — Afro Rencontres avec Afriques, France
2017 — Salon Zürcher Africa, New York City, USA
2017 — DDessin, Paris, France
2016 — Opening Exhibition, CIRCA Gallery, London, UK
2015 — 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair, CIRCA Gallery Booth, London, UK
2015 — FNB Joburg Art Fair, Everard Read Booth, Johannesburg, RSA
2015 — Winter Show, Everard Read, Cape Town, RSA
2010 — Young Contemporaries, Galerie Nikki Diana Marquardt, Paris, France
2010 — My City, Arts on Main, Johannesburg, RSA
2009 — City Link, Gallery 23 (Amsterdam) & Gallery on the Square, Johannesburg, RSA
2007 — Cultural & Business Art Exhibition, Somma Lombardo, Italy
2006 — Ten Years of Printmaking, David Krut Print Studios, RSA
2003 — Student & Staff Artists Proof Studio, Wits University Substation, RSA
2003 — Print Marathon, RAU Art Gallery, Johannesburg, RSA
2003 — Print Marathon, Boston, USA

Photograph by Jack Hall / BFA

Photograph by Earl Abrahams

Echoes Beyond the Wall

Each exhibition is a call and response, between Nelson and the viewer, between Africa and the world. The locations may shift. The walls may change. But the emotion, the energy, the eyes... remain unmistakably Makamo.

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