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Mondli “The Artivist” Kunene is a South African contemporary visual artist, cultural producer, and social-change advocate whose practice interrogates materiality, power, memory, and responsibility within African and global systems of value. Referred to by the public as The Artivist, Kunene creates thought-provoking, one-of-one contemporary African artworks that raise awareness around social, political, and environmental issues affecting the African diaspora and their resonance within global contexts.

Working primarily with acrylic paint on Masonite, Kunene’s practice is distinguished by his deliberate use of ostrich and crocodile leathers, defunct banknotes, and warthog tusks—materials chosen not for spectacle, but for their symbolic, historical, and ethical weight. These materials function as living archives, carrying embedded histories of extraction, labour, colonial economies, wealth, violence, survival, and resilience. Through this material language, Kunene reframes art-making as an ethical inquiry rather than a purely aesthetic pursuit.

Kunene’s practice operates under the conceptual framework of MONDLIART®, a registered and evolving methodology that merges art, activism, education, and cultural consciousness. MONDLIART® positions storytelling as infrastructure—an active system capable of disrupting exploitative cycles, reshaping public awareness, and proposing more humane and reflective modes of existence. Whether through painting, publishing, public speaking, or mentorship, Kunene approaches art as a tool for societal engagement and long-term impact.

Mentored by the late South African artist Speelman Mahlangu, Kunene’s artistic foundation is deeply rooted in both African artistic lineage and critical social awareness. He holds a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) from the University of Johannesburg and spent over a decade working within the education sector before transitioning to full-time artistic practice in 2018 under his registered entity, Mondli Art Projects. This background continues to inform his approach, positioning education and accessibility as central to his work.
Kunene’s multidisciplinary reach extends beyond visual art. In 2016, he won 1st prize at the Johannesburg Film Festival for a film in which he also features, supported by the Gauteng Film Commission. He has been commissioned to create large-scale public murals in Sharpeville, commemorating Nelson Mandela and Albertina Sisulu’s centennial celebrations, embedding historical memory directly into public space.

His work has been recognized nationally and internationally. In 2019, Design Indaba selected Kunene as one of 50 Emerging South African Creatives to Watch, and he subsequently exhibited at Artscape Theatre Centre, Cape Town. His artworks have been acquired by Artbank South Africa, municipal institutions, politicians, athletes, entertainment figures, and private collectors locally and abroad. Notably, Kunene made history as the first artist whose work was acquired and permanently installed in the Midvaal Local Municipality Council Chamber, where he was invited to unveil the work and address the full council—marking a significant intersection between art, governance, and public discourse.

Kunene has participated in numerous international group exhibitions, including eco-awareness exhibitions in India (2020), a group exhibition at Liminal Gallery in Canada (2021), and presentations at Decorex Africa at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (2022). In 2024, he exhibited at THE GRAPA in Valencia, Spain, further expanding his international footprint.

In 2022, Kunene was nominated and awarded the Forty Under 40 Africa Award in the Theatre and Arts category in Accra, Ghana. That same year, he won the South African Brandy Innovation Challenge, highlighting his ability to bridge fine art, innovation, and brand storytelling. In 2024, he was honored in Kazan, Russia, for his contributions to using creativity and technology to empower youth in the Vaal region.
Beyond exhibitions, Kunene is a sought-after speaker and thought leader. He has been featured extensively in local and international media, including News24, IOL, Design Indaba, Hello Pepper Magazine (USA), Google Arts & Culture, and numerous global cultural platforms. He is also a contributing author in the Gerald Kraak Anthology Vol. V, We Shall Remain, which brings together visual artists, photographers, and poets from across Africa addressing themes of resistance, memory, and survival.
In 2025, Kunene was nominated to be part of the Visual Arts Cluster of South Africa NPC, powered by the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, further solidifying his role within national cultural policy and development structures.

Central to Kunene’s practice is mentorship and community development. He actively mentors emerging visual artists and is in the process of establishing an art hub in the Vaal, aimed at creating access, skills development, and long-term opportunities for youth in under-resourced communities.

Through MONDLIART®, Mondli “The Artivist” Kunene continues to position African art as a critical voice in global conversations on material ethics, cultural memory, sustainability, and social responsibility—insisting that art is not only seen, but felt, questioned, and lived.


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Mondli Kunene

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