Ivy Rihlampfu

Rihlampfu is a South African visual artist, and curator with a B-Tech in Fine Art. Born and raised in Soweto, Rihlampfu developed a deep appreciation for art from a young age. Inspired by the vibrant street art scene in her hometown, she began exploring different mediums and styles of artistic expression, ultimately finding her calling in the world of art and curation and she dove headfirst into the world. Within her curatorial work, Rihlampfu is deeply engaged in exploring themes of place, self, migration and progress. She actively seeks out opportunities to amplify diverse voices within the art world. Ivy is a passionate advocate for arts education, community engagement for normalizing buying art without intimidation. She believes in the power of art to inspire change and is dedicated to using her platform to amplify underrepresented voices and spark meaningful conversations using art as a catalyst. As a young curator, Rihlampfu is excited to continue pushing the boundaries of contemporary art and to champion the next generation of artistic talent. She is committed to creating inclusive spaces where artists and audiences can come together to engage with art in new and meaningful ways, and she is determined to make a lasting impact on the cultural landscape of her community and beyond. Rihlampfu has worked with a number of institutions, corporations, organisations and galleries including Goethe-Institute, The Worldbank, The Riboville Boutique Hotel, Springs Art Gallery, The Business Clinic, Constitution Hill, The Soweto Arts Company, Asisebenze Art Atelier and the Keyes Art Mile. She also curated solo exhibitions for prominent artists that were exhibited at Turbine Art Fair 2022/23 and The Investec Cape Town Art Fair in 2023. Rihlampfu’s current focus for the ARAK Fellowship is on the intersections and collapses of portraiture and abstraction. She has been drawing on various African artists and artworks from the ARAK Collection in order to further explore this relationship.

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