Kayf, born in 1994, to Ukrainian and Zimbabwean parents, is currently based in Pretoria, South Africa. Her artist’s name, Kayf is derived from a Zimbabwean slang word for fake. After struggling with imposter syndrome, she decided to become what she feared, and the imposter syndrome lost its power over her. She is a multidisciplinary artist, creating psychedelic masks alongside thought provoking yet light hearted paintings on both canvas and paper. Her mixture of photography and paint create sharp contrast through the stark reality of photos and the whimsical nature of cartoons.

Her artwork explores the life and perspective of a mixed-race woman whose culture and identity were not inherited but formed through television, the internet and lived experience. Kayf’s artistic identity is characterised by vivid colour, a mainstay in a world saturated by screen, she also delves into the self-exploration of one’s sexuality and the exploration of her inner world, with recurring motives as smiley face stickers, cartoon characters and a multitude of eyes, imbuing her pieces with a sense of symbolic depth and unexpected playfulness.

Although a new artist, Kayf’s work has been garnering acclaim, exhibiting at such venues as Glen Carlou Gallery in Cape Town and at Stokvel Gallery in Johannesburg. And most recently with her signing on to Art Eye Gallery, further solidifying her position in the contemporary art scene.

Disclaimer:

Actual colours may vary slightly from the images shown, due to lighting when photographed, and colour variations in monitors and on phone screens.