Nicholas Hlobo

Through his work, he navigates his identity as a gay Xhosa man in South Africa and reevaluates the definitions of masculinity and sexuality in his country.

[2] The variance between femininity and masculinity is created by his use of materials such as rubber inner tubes, ribbon, organza, lace, and found objects.

[4] In an interview with journalist Malka Gouzer,[4] Hlobo recalls the origin of his artistic journey, which began with the young boy killing time by drawing the human body as it appeared in his imagination.

He moved to Johannesburg as a young adult in 1995, one year after Nelson Mandela was elected as South African president and ended Apartheid.

His honors and residencies also include the Standard Bank Young Artist Award (2009) and Rolex Visual Arts Protégé (2010–11).

"[9] In gay culture, for instance, drag queens exemplify the masquerade: They wear clothing and accessories coded as feminine, such as wigs, makeup, and heels, and go out on stage to put on a show.

A major survey exhibition of Hlobo's work was on at the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design in Oslo, Norway, from 4 March to 29 May 2011.

Hlobo and David Goldblatt were the only two South African artists invited by curator Bice Curiger to exhibit work on the international pavilion IllUMinations of the 2011 Venice Biennale.

[11][12] He is included on La Triennale 2012 in Paris and on The Rainbow Nation, an exhibition of three generations of sculpture from South Africa, at The Hague.