nomThunzi Mashalaba’s interdisciplinary practice revolves around her personal story. The aesthetics of the book page and the language of the drawn line consistently serve as the foundation of her work. She draws on lived experiences to construct visual narratives that is simultaneously intimate yet hints at universal human experiences.

Her autobiographical approach actively shapes the direction of each piece whether she works in painting, textile, or other media. Her colour palette is soft, yet recognizable and becomes the vehicle through which she positions herself in this world. By modifying various handcraft techniques, Mashalaba deconstructs and transforms the processes of knitting, weaving and mark making into abstract colour fields that play with memory, the passing of time and the sense of self. She prompts the viewer to immerse themselves in a world beyond language.

Silence becomes a space for negotiation: between what is remembered and what is forgotten, what is said and what remains unspoken. In this way, she transforms personal memory into shared reflection and allows fragments of the past to resurface in tactile form.

So, I Let Silence Explain brings together new work alongside historical pieces in a personal dialogue across time. nomThunzi Mashalaba is a South African artist currently based in Mthatha. She graduated with a B-Tech (Fine Arts) from Tshwane University of Technology in 2006. Her work has been featured widely locally and in international exhibitions including Map of the New Art (Venice), Crossing Boundaries (Qatar) and The Art of Humanity (Pratt Institute, New York). Her recently acclaimed body of fibre work, Pretend, was featured as a solo booth at Cape Town international Art Fair with Everard Read Gallery (Cape Town, 2024).