Breeze

Growing up in the Cape Town townships of Gugulethu and Nyanga East, Breeze Yoko entered the underground scene in the late 1990s as part of the hip-hop collective Groundworks. Graffiti quickly became his primary medium, later expanded through video, film, and curatorial work into a multidisciplinary practice rooted in South African social realities.

His murals are vibrant yet politically charged, addressing inequality, poverty, and the struggles of marginalized communities. A distinctive feature of his approach is deep community engagement — he regularly collaborates with local residents, schools, and youth groups to create works that reflect each neighborhood's history and context. His films have earned awards at the Tricontinental Film Festival in South Africa, a special mention at the Siena Film Festival in Italy, and recognition at Dak'Art in Senegal.

Now based in Johannesburg, the artist has painted across more than thirteen countries, from southern Africa to Europe, taking part in festivals and residencies in Germany, Sweden, France, and the United Kingdom. His whimsical yet powerful murals unfurl a kind of humanity that reimagines the urban environments they inhabit.