Athenkosi Kwinana creates art that asks people to look again. Her work challenges long-held assumptions about albinism, replacing stereotypes with stories of identity, resilience and belonging and proving that art can be as much about social change as aesthetic expression.

At 31, Kwinana has established herself as one of South Africa's leading visual artists, visual activists and researchers. Working across drawing, printmaking and installation, she explores the experiences of people living with albinism, using her practice to spark conversations about representation, dignity and inclusion.

Holding a master's degree in fine art from the University of Johannesburg, she has built a career that bridges the worlds of contemporary art and human rights advocacy.

A defining milestone was receiving the prestigious Cultures of Resistance Award for Ndijongile, a travelling exhibition that has opened dialogue across South Africa about the realities faced by people living with albinism. More than an exhibition, it invites audiences to confront prejudice through empathy and understanding.

Inspired by artists such as Zanele Muholi and Diane Victor, Kwinana believes creativity carries a responsibility to question injustice. Through every exhibition, she continues to show that art has the power to reflect society and to reshape it.