Creative Collaborators
We work with local artists, designers, storytellers, curators, and more to transform each A42 resart, drawing on the heritage, culture and ecology of each place.
Current Collaborators
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Esinako Diana Ndabeni is an interdisciplinary artist and sangoma living in Johannesburg, South Africa. Her work moves between writing, sound, and spiritual practice to explore lineage, memory, and indigenous knowledge systems. She is the co-author of Born to Kwaito: Reflections on the Kwaito Generation, the author of Sacred Earth Philosophy, and the founder–editor of Riotzine, a literary magazine amplifying South African voices born after 1994. Under the moniker Esinako, she creates music that bridges ancestral storytelling and contemporary sound. Her debut EP, King of the Underworld, releases in November.
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Based in Johannesburg, South Africa, kumalo | turpin is a new contemporary art space dedicated to exhibiting the next generation of leading artists from the Global Majority. Founded by Zanele Kumalo and M.J. Turpin in 2025, the art space was born from a shared commitment to equity, experimentation, and socially-engaged practice.
With a focus on artists whose work challenges dominant narratives and reflects global concerns, the gallery presents a programme designed to amplify previously-excluded voices in today’s society. Through a dynamic range of exhibitions, residencies, and public programming, kumalo | turpin supports artists at pivotal moments in their careers,
offering space to reflect, disrupt, and engage.
Rooted in Johannesburg’s legacy of creative resistance, kumalo | turpin fosters cross-cultural dialogue and critical inquiry. The art space works fluidly across disciplines, and between emerging and established voices, to shape a platform that is both locally grounded and globally connected.
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Oliver Matamba (b. 1961, Shurugwi, Zimbabwe) is a Johannesburg-based self-taught artist whose paintings are shaped by his interest in history, geography, and the natural world. He began painting at 23, creating signage, murals, and hand-painted maps for schools and buses to support his family.
After recovering from an illness, Matamba discovered art as a way to express himself and make sense of his experiences. In 2019, he and his wife moved to South Africa in search of new possibilities. His work often revisits stories of pre-colonial kings, explorers, and presidents, guided by his belief that understanding the past can help us imagine the future.
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Esinako Diana Ndabeni is an interdisciplinary artist and sangoma living in Johannesburg, South Africa. Her work moves between writing, sound, and spiritual practice to explore lineage, memory, and indigenous knowledge systems. She is the co-author of Born to Kwaito: Reflections on the Kwaito Generation, the author of Sacred Earth Philosophy, and the founder–editor of Riotzine, a literary magazine amplifying South African voices born after 1994. Under the moniker Esinako, she creates music that bridges ancestral storytelling and contemporary sound. Her debut EP, King of the Underworld, releases in November.
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Based in Johannesburg, South Africa, kumalo | turpin is a new contemporary art space dedicated to exhibiting the next generation of leading artists from the Global Majority. Founded by Zanele Kumalo and M.J. Turpin in 2025, the art space was born from a shared commitment to equity, experimentation, and socially-engaged practice.
With a focus on artists whose work challenges dominant narratives and reflects global concerns, the gallery presents a programme designed to amplify previously-excluded voices in today’s society. Through a dynamic range of exhibitions, residencies, and public programming, kumalo | turpin supports artists at pivotal moments in their careers,
offering space to reflect, disrupt, and engage.
Rooted in Johannesburg’s legacy of creative resistance, kumalo | turpin fosters cross-cultural dialogue and critical inquiry. The art space works fluidly across disciplines, and between emerging and established voices, to shape a platform that is both locally grounded and globally connected.
-
Oliver Matamba (b. 1961, Shurugwi, Zimbabwe) is a Johannesburg-based self-taught artist whose paintings are shaped by his interest in history, geography, and the natural world. He began painting at 23, creating signage, murals, and hand-painted maps for schools and buses to support his family.
After recovering from an illness, Matamba discovered art as a way to express himself and make sense of his experiences. In 2019, he and his wife moved to South Africa in search of new possibilities. His work often revisits stories of pre-colonial kings, explorers, and presidents, guided by his belief that understanding the past can help us imagine the future.