Lonwabo Kilani

Lonwabo Kilani, born in Cape Town in 1980, embarked on his artistic journey with two years of Visual Arts studies at the Community Arts Project (CAP) in 2001. His academic pursuits extended into the realms of Film (animation) and digital arts and interactive media, reflecting a commitment to art with a purpose, underpinning his role as an activist. Since the turn of the millennium, Kilani has immersed himself in a variety of mural painting projects across the Western and Eastern Cape and has been an active participant in numerous group exhibitions and artistic endeavors. His portfolio includes contributing to an installation for the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation's national conference in 2000, themed around memory, and participating in the Day of the Dead exhibition at the Michaelis School of Art the same year.

Kilani's involvement in the art community continued with his participation in workshops and exhibitions such as the Truworths Emerging Artists’ workshop at the SANG annex in 2000, Beating the Odds in 2001 to support CAP, and Afro Metamorphosis, marking the end of the year show for CAP’s advanced visual art programme in 2001. His contributions extend to group exhibitions organized by the AVA at Gesseau Art in Johannesburg in 2002, Absolut Secret 7 at the AVA in 2002, and a group show at Greatmore Studios in Woodstock in 2002. Beyond exhibitions, Kilani has applied his artistic skills to commercial projects, including designing logos for Talking magazine and the Institute of Race Relations. His active participation in the art community was further evidenced by his involvement in a Thupelo regional workshop and exhibition in 2002.

Kilani continues to live and create in Cape Town, maintaining a studio at Greatmore Studios, where he contributes to the vibrant local art scene through his diverse creative pursuits.

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