About Makiwa

Makiwa Mutomba, born in 1976 in Zimbabwe, exhibited prodigious talent in drawing from a tender age. Despite embarking on a path in Electronics Engineering at university, he pivoted dramatically in his third year in 1999, choosing to embrace his passion for art as a full-time career. Migrating from Bulawayo to the bustling streets of Harare and eventually settling in the tourist hub of Victoria Falls in 2000, he found his niche selling miniature paintings by the roadside, ingeniously displayed on tree branches, to tourists. It was during this period that Makiwa's affinity for using the palette knife as his primary painting tool flourished.

In 2001, Makiwa relocated to South Africa and swiftly secured representation by esteemed art galleries across Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban. His entrepreneurial spirit led him to establish Makiwa Galleries in 2014, a triumvirate of art spaces situated in Durban, Franschhoek, and Hermanus. These galleries have since become the principal conduits for his artwork, catering to a diverse international clientele, especially from Europe and the USA.