Siyabonga Khaka Ngaki

Siyabonga Khaka Ngaki was born in 1989 at Upper Mngqesha Location, a rural area opposite Dimbaza Township in the Eastern Cape. He grew up as a kid who loved drawing at an early age as his father and sister could draw. He improved his passion for art as he would draw cartoon images from posters and newpapers, until he took the decision of enrolling in the Arts as a career choice.

Siyabonga Ngaki is now a B-tech graduate in Fine Arts majoring in Printmaking/ illustration at Nelson Mandela University. His work has been selected four times Absa Le’ Atelier top 100 artists since 2011(now the Barclay’s Le’ Atelier) and has also been selected twice for the SASOL New Signatures top 100 in 2014 and 2016. He has also been part of the regional judges for the PPC Imaginarium in 2017. Apart from that, he had the opportunity to assist 2nd and 3rd year drawing classes at Nelson Mandela University where he later worked as a Gallery Intern from 2015-2018.

His Artworks now cover most Fine Arts Media such as Paint, sculpture, silk screening and digital illustration. Siyabonga works on large-scale pieces, and he uses many tools and a variety of mediums to achieve his artistic purpose. 

Siyabonga’s latest body of works focuses on the Nguni culture and its diversity. Portraying its beauty, values and morals and we can steal apply these in modern society will out overlooking or undermining its importance. The work is present in the art forms explained.