Kim Karabo Makin was born in Gaborone, Botswana. She is a multidisciplinary artist, radio DJ/host, and Master of Fine Art graduate from the Michaelis School of Fine Art at the University of Cape Town. Makin’s work is based on a lived experience of multiculturalism and displacement, and the role context plays in relation to identity.
Image courtesy of the artist
Her Master’s visual research project was inspired by the collective memory of Medu Art Ensemble which was a collective of cultural activists based in Botswana during the height of the anti-apartheid resistance movements in South Africa. The collective was dislocated across the borders of Botswana and South Africa and Makin’s project focused on Medu as an example of transnational identity and historical entanglement.
Image Courtesy of the artist
In her current work, Makin combines elements of her undergraduate study of sculpture with her history in radio broadcasting at UCT Radio. She has done an exhibition titled Collective Tiles with The Botswana Pavilion in partnership with ANT Mobility Grant from Pro Helvetia in Johannesburg and the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation. This was a virtual tour and series of online interactions with contributing artists from Botswana, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. This exchange seeks to build relations and nurture creative and cultural exchange in this part of Southern Africa and this was a grand gesture amid a pandemic.
Image courtesy of Arthrob
When creating, Makin finds that she is drawn to ideas of femininity such as female-led narratives with an intimate and personalised tone as they feel like home for her. She is also interested in the female experience in the local art sector and in the communities people continue to create. It is no surprise then that she is part of the column Women which is dedicated to women artists in or connected to Africa. The column seeks to empower women through giving them a platform to air their experiences, opinions and realities. They are continuously accepting applications for more artists to join.
In 2018, she was shortlisted as one of the Top 100 finalists in the Absa L’Atelier. In 2019, she was selected to represent The Botswana Pavilion as a Hub Manager at the Creative Hubs Academy which was created in partnership with Nesta, the British Council and Hivos. She has participated in a number of group exhibitions, including at the Association for Visual Arts (AVA) Gallery Gallery in Cape Town in 2019 and 2021. Most recently, Makin has participated in a number of online panel discussions in collaboration with Southern Africa Arts (British Council), the World Bank Art Program and the Zeitz MOCAA. She also practices as a Lecture Assistant and Tutor at the Michaelis School of Fine Art.
