About the artist
South African multidisciplinary artist Nkhensani Rihlampfu was born and raised in the country’s northern province of Limpopo. He studied fine arts at the Tshwane University of Technology in Pretoria, where he earned a B-Tech in Fine Arts.
Nkhensani’s work has been showcased in various group and curated exhibitions, including those at the Absa Gallery, Grahamstown Arts Festival, and Pretoria Art Museum. His pieces have been acquired by numerous prominent corporate and private art collections, further enhancing his reputation in the industry through these partnerships.
In 2019, Nkhensani held his first solo exhibition, guiding viewers through the space between our perceived reality and the hidden truths beyond. Additionally, he was honoured as the Feature Artist at the RMB Turbine Art Fair that same year and won the prestigious Absa L’Atelier 2019 award.
Nkhensani Rihlampfu invites us into his universe of woven realities, where the actual intertwines with the idealistic and conceptual ideas shaped by society. His work seeks to unveil the manipulation inherent in communication through gesture and assumption. By engaging with Nkhensani’s fantastical figures, we are drawn into a reality rooted in our perception of the world. These figures lead us to believe in movement and mass where there is none, allowing us to "feel" the pressure and weight of non-existent objects.
The Rider
In a synchronised trance we move and sway as if one single thought consumes us. With all our senses engaged, the exhilaration builds. I follow the curves of the road ahead, as I envision the ones still to come. My body shifts to alter its angle to the ground as we soar through the air in unison. Through the opposing actions of that which fuels our motion and free falling, I begin to feel the rhythm. Bike and body have fused into a single lifeline. It ignites and pulses with each heartbeat; from our wheels churning on the street, up the spine it becomes me. I give you life and purpose and together we decide our path, we find our future, we become The Rider.
