Rametse Gilbert Maepa

Rametse Gilbert Maepa, a South African artist, was born in 1992 in Jane Furse, Limpopo. His early life was shaped by his family's move to Sasolburg in the Free State, where he was first introduced to the arts at a young age through a community centre in Zamdela. There, he was inspired by the rich local traditions of performing arts such as dance and theatre. His keenest interest was the visual arts, a medium that was mostly disregarded in the area at the time. Maepa continued his schooling at the Vaal University of Technology, where he graduated with postgraduate degrees in higher education and fine art. Following his graduation, Maepa continued his artistic endeavours at the Fezile Dabi District Arts and Culture Centre in Sasolburg and accepted a position as a part-time Fine Arts lecturer at Vaal University of Technology. As a teacher, he focuses on both technical and thematic aspects of his craft.

Maepa’s artworks often delve into themes of migration, intellectual history, class conflict, and the passage of time while telling stories of hope, belonging, and selfhood. He primarily works with drawing, painting, and printmaking, mediums that allow him to uniquely explore and communicate ideas while also directly engaging with social issues. A significant achievement for Maepa is having one of his pieces included in the Constitutional Court Art Collection as a winner of the CCAC student competition in 2023.This not only marks his recognition within the ongoing artistic exploration of justice and democracy but also highlights his contribution to the critique of societal challenges.