Who to look out for at Investec Cape Town Art Fair

The Investec Cape Town Art Fair gathers nearly 500 artists from across the continent and beyond. With so much to take in, it can be overwhelming. We have created a list of African artists, many of whom place textiles and fibres at the centre of their practice – from tactile sculpture to richly textured photographic work.

While at the fair, do visit the Twyg booth, which will feature a contemporary newsstand in partnership with Letterhead and MakeSpace by Wunders. It is dedicated to independent fashion publishing and material research.

The Investec Cape Town Art Fair takes takes place from 20 – 22 February at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. You can find more details and purchase tickets here.

Find out more about the Twyg booth here.

nomThunzi Mashalaba is a multidisciplinary artist whose work with experimental weaving techniques will be on display at this year’s Art Fair. She approaches traditional weaving methods with a contemporary touch, seeing this as a form of recording new memories. Looping, overlapping and fluid, her work speaks to the nature of memories and time.

• Find nomThunzi’s work at the Everard Read booth.
• Follow nomThunzi on Instagram.

Ibrahim Bemba Kébé’s work is shaped by the Korèdugaw, a society of wise figures who use humour and traditional teachings to address societal issues. Like the Korèdugaw, Ibrahim uses recycled materials – burlap, lace, and reused fabric – and natural materials, such as wood and cowrie shells. These choices reflect his deep personal concern for today’s ecological crises.

• Find Ibrahim’s work at THIS IS NOT A WHITE CUBE’s booth.
• Follow Ibrahim Bemba Kébé on Instagram.

Sarfo Emmanuel Annor captures Ghanaian textiles, colours and style in bold, highly saturated photographic portraits. His New Makers series features young girls transforming waste like sachets and plastic bottles into meaningful objects. The photographs capture the spirit of sankofa – a Twi word from the Akan people of Ghana, meaning ‘to go back and fetch what has been left behind’ – and seek to create beauty and hope amongst environmental crises.

• Find Sarfo’s work at The Bridge Gallery’s booth.
• Follow Sarfo Emmanuel Annor on Instagram.

Senzeni Marasela is a multi-disciplinary artist whose work includes a series of highly textured embroidered textiles. The Falling Series shows various plaid mohair shawls, their familiar patterns overpowered by hanging red threads. These tactile hangings are a visual marker of loss and disrupted family life caused by the migrant labour system.

• Find Senzeni’s work at the EBONY/CURATED booth.
• Follow Senzeni Marasela on Instagram.

Kwaku Yaro transforms everyday materials into tactile portraits of his community. Using ubiquitous polypropylene bags – symbols of migration and the circulation of cheap goods from the Global North – as well as woven mats as backdrops, he creates works that both reflect and speak to life in Accra.

• Find Kwaku’s work at the Christopher Moller Gallery booth.
• Follow Kwaku Yaro on Instagram.

Amy Rusch stitches thread into layers of found plastic bags, creating works inspired by the natural world — particularly oceans and archaeology. She cuts, stitches, and heats these waste materials into new, textured surfaces, inviting us to consider our relationship with plastic and how it intersects with the natural world.

• Find Amy’s work at the Suburbia Contemporary booth.
• Follow Amy Rusch on Instagram.

Sanjo’s striking photography is inspired by the nuances of Nigerian culture and the colours of his childhood — the flowers his mother grew and the fabrics she wore. His stylised, constructed portraits highlight textiles as symbols of heritage, from brightly coloured lace to the exaggerated gele (headwraps) and fila (traditional Nigerian hats).

• Find Sanjo’s work at THIS IS NOT A WHITE CUBE’s booth.
• Follow Sanjo Lawal on Instagram.

• Feature image: Mixed media sculptures by Kwako Yaro, 2026. Supplied by ICTAF