NEO MATLOGA

Neo Matloga (South Africa, 1993) explores moments of personal connection through intimate scenes set in domestic and outdoor spaces. His work, deeply autobiographical, spans drawing, painting, and printmaking, primarily using monochromatic collages made with charcoal, ink, and soft pastels to create a timeless quality. Through these works, Matloga reclaims intimate spaces as symbols of resistance, constructing micro-narratives charged with emotional tension.

Rooted in a dialogue between imagination and compositional references, his collage-paintings and prints expand his ongoing exploration of image-making and his fascination with spectacle. While his character may be reserved, a hidden love for drama emerges through his work, finding expression and release in his formal experimentation with figuration and narrative.

Neo Matloga was born in Mamaila, Limpopo, South Africa, and currently divides his time between Mamaila, Johannesburg, and Amsterdam. He studied Visual Art at the University of Johannesburg and completed a residency at De Ateliers, focusing on painting. He has received major awards such as the ABN AMRO Art Award (2021) and the Koninklijke Prijs voor Vrije Schilderkunst (2018). His work has been exhibited internationally across Africa and Europe.