Banele Khoza (b. 1994, Hlatikulu, eSwatini) is a visual artist whose emotionally charged, diaristic practice explores love, longing, queer identity, and vulnerability through drawing, painting, and text. Known for his delicate yet defiant style, Khoza works across mediums to capture the fluidity of emotion and selfhood.

After briefly studying fashion at the London International School of Fashion, Banele shifted his focus to fine art, earning a BTech in Fine Arts from Tshwane University of Technology. He taught drawing at the university before dedicating himself fully to his studio practice. In 2017, he won the Gerard Sekoto Award, which included a residency at Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris—an early marker of international recognition that has continued to grow.

Banele’s work has been exhibited widely in South Africa and internationally, with recent solo exhibitions including What’s Left Unsaid (2024, Goodman Gallery, ZA), How Are You Doing? (2023, BKhz, ZA), From South Africa (Dear Diary) (2022, kunsthaus göttingen, DE), and Be-Pression (2022, Nil Gallery, Paris). His seminal 2018 solo exhibition LGBTQI+: Banele Khoza at Zeitz MOCAA marked a significant moment in queer visibility within South African institutional spaces.

In addition to his studio practice, Banele is the founder of BKhz Gallery, an independent contemporary art space he launched in 2018. Now based in Johannesburg’s Keyes Art Mile, BKhz functions as a platform for emerging and mid-career artists, often foregrounding queer and marginalised voices.

Banele continues to shape the contemporary art landscape in Southern Africa and beyond—not only through his tender, interrogative work but also as a mentor, curator, and advocate for greater access and support in the arts.