“Identity is built through difference. It is a huge gain to see yourself as you are and not as society projects you onto us… Being black is choosing to identify with it,” says South African artist Lebohang Motaung with inspiring fervor. This month, it is her fascinating creative journey that captures our attention. Through hair sculpture, she explores a unique artistic medium that allows her not only to affirm her heritage, but also to claim her place within the contemporary scene.
Born in Vaal Sebokeng, South Africa, Lebohang Motaung holds a BTech in Fine Arts with a specialization in printmaking from the Vaal University of Technology. She quickly established herself as a distinguished visual artist, earning a Certificate of Excellence in Printmaking from the renowned Artist Proof Studios in Johannesburg in 2015.
As an emerging artist, Lebohang Motaung experienced an unexpected career shift, driven by both local and international opportunities. These unique experiences enhanced her journey in the contemporary art landscape, providing her with the means to boldly nurture her creativity. Her artistic journey took a decisive turn with a four-month residency at the prestigious School of Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, in the heart of the United States. There, she immersed herself in advanced intaglio printmaking techniques while sharing her knowledge as an adjunct professor at the institute.
She continued her artistic journey with a new eight-month residency in 2018 at Project Space, where she was fortunate to be guided by the master Benon Lutaaya, a distinguished and missed artist of the contemporary scene. The mentorship of this respected figure, both locally and internationally, enriched Lebohang Motaung’s evolution, shaping an artistic style of remarkable singularity.
At the heart of her work, the South African artist works to preserve women’s identities in the face of the norms imposed by hair politics, using synthetic hair as a medium. Her art is a manifesto inviting women to remain true to themselves, to remain unwavering in the face of judgments regarding the way they choose to style their hair.
As a black woman, Lebohang Motaung draws on her own personal experiences and experiences to explore the politics of hair. She examines the traditions, conversations and challenges that mark her path. However, far from being limited to a vision of struggle, her work celebrates the youth, beauty and confidence of women.
Through synthetic hair sculptures in varied and immersive forms, Lebohang Motaung questions and reinvents the beauty standards associated with black women. Her singular art encourages these women to assert themselves, to embrace their identity and to proudly wear accessories that highlight their authentic beauty. In each creation, the artist invites a celebration of self, affirming that there is only one way to be beautiful: the one that comes from within.
Lebohang Motaung’s creations celebrate black womanhood with radiant positivity and unwavering pride. Through the rich and complex aesthetics of African hairstyles, she manages to subvert and recontextualize the negative stereotypes that weigh on black women.
Her work embraces and champions African beauty in all its splendor, even in the heart of a metropolis like Johannesburg, where African and Western realities coexist. In this simmering environment, Lebohang Motaung confronts the territorial identity crisis that often results in a devaluation of black aesthetics in favor of predominant Western standards.
She invites a deep reflection on the valorization of African identities and brilliantly demonstrates that beauty, in all its forms, deserves to be celebrated and honored, far from hasty judgments and inherited prejudices. Through her art, Lebohang Motaung does not just claim a place, she opens the way to a new narrative, reclaiming a space where black beauty asserts itself with strength and brilliance.