Matshelane Xhakaza (*1993) is a South African artist. She lives and works in Johannesburg. The point of departure for Xhakaza’s work is her immediate environment and the artist’s personal, everyday experiences. Based on Marshall McLuhan’s thesis that 'the medium is the message', she is interested in negotiating subject matter through a method of 'thinking as practice' and meticulously articulating it through a range of media, such as the moving image, text-based installations and occasionally painting. Xhakaza’s work provides the audience with a nuanced and trenchant aesthetic that strives to address the complexities entailed in addressing specific socio-political narratives. Xhakaza is currently exploring ideas on how to utilize 'playing' as a method of discovering a new aesthetic for her work. During 2018/2019 Matshelane Xhakaza is participating in our residency program Zu Gast bei Urbane Künste Ruhr.