Nokukhanya Langa

Nokukhanya Langa (born in 1991 in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA, and now based in Rotterdam, Netherlands)' s work leaves room for different possibilities, opportunities and (time) perspectives. In her art practice she reconciles the pluralities of her personal story with political and cultural history. Nokukhanya Langa grew up across different parts of the world, from the United States to South Africa, to India, back to the United States, then to the Netherlands for her studies, and to Belgium for a postgraduate degree, before eventually settling again in Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

The memories and personal relationships she formed in each of these places have shaped her into the artist she is today. It is as if she temporarily embedded herself everywhere she lived, only to depart again like a ghost in every town, leaving behind certain marks, a kind of scars, both within herself and within the people and places she encountered. These memories of feelings, moments, and relationships are, as it were, encapsulated in stone shaped objects, resembling tablets from a distant past. This trajectory of life forms one of the core elements of her oeuvre. At the same time, the artist’s mental fabric plays a significant role. The complexity of mental chaos, doubt, and tension takes form through bouncing spheres, spirals, and heavy chain installations. These emerge from the image that a downwarts spiral is a loaded spring, a spiral that can only exist through the application of force.This tension and neuronal interplay form the culmination of a multifaceted body of work, in which questioning, doubt, memory, and poetry converge both formally and conceptually.

Nokukhanya Langa holds a MA in Painting from Frank Mohr Institute in Groningen, NL and a Post Graduate at HISK, Ghent, BE. BARBÉ has presented her works in many exhibitions in and outside the gallery with a solo exhibition 'nana' in 2025. In 2024 she had a duo show with Bruce Nauman 'Noku / Nauman' at Saatchi Yates (London, UK) where she previously she had her debut solo in in 2022 'There's A Ghost In Every Town'. In 2025 she participated in 'It Goes Without Saying' at Kunsthal Extra City (Antwerp, BE). Nokukhanya Langa's work has also been exhibited at major institutions including, Centre Pompidou, Paris, France (2020-2021); Kunstinstituut Melly, Rotterdam, NL (2022) and chi K11 Art Museum in Shanghai, CN (2023) and SMAK, Ghent, BE (2025).

CV

Nokukhanya Langa
°1991 (USA/ZA)
Lives and works in Rotterdam (NL)

Education

2021
HISK / Ghent, BE

2018
MA Painting (Cum Laude / Frank Mohr Institute / Groningen, NL

2017
MFA Exchange / Hunter College / NYC

2014
Industrial Welding Certification / OPJCC / India

2013
BA Studio Art (Honors) / Moravian College / PA

Public Collections

DUST: The plates of present / a project co-founded by Thomas Fougeirol and Jo-ey Tang / permanent collection of the Centre Pompidou / Paris (FR)
Mu.ZEE. / Ostende (BE)
M HKA / Antwerp (BE)
IKOB / Eupen (BE)
S.M.A.K. / Gent (BE)

Selected exhibitions

2024
NOKU/NAUMAN / group exhibition / duo w/ Bruce Nauman / Saatchi Yates / London (UK)

2023
NOKUKHANYA LANGA / group exhibition / PLOP / London (UK)
ARTACT PARLOUR / group exhibition / chi K11 Art Museum / Shanghai (China)

2022
THERE'S A GHOST IN EVERY TOWN / solo exhibition / Saatchi Yates Gallery / London (UK)
A DOWNWARD SPIRAL IS A LOADED SPRING / solo exhibition / Kunstinstituut Melly / Rotterdam (NL)
WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM HELL / group exhibition / Frankfurt (DE)
SWEET HARMONY / group exhibition / Het Hem / Amsterdam (NL)
ABSTRACTED / group exhibition / Saatchi Yates (UK)
BALLROOM PROJECTS / group exhibition / Barbe Urbain / Antwerp (BE)
I'M NOBODY! WHO ARE YOU? / group exhibition / DASH / Kortrijk (BE)
THE SPATIAL ANALOGY / group exhibition / Kunstliefde / Utrecht (NL)
WE ARE ALL GUESTS / group exhibition / Foundation B.a.d / Rotterdam (NL)
AN ASSEMBLY / group exhibition / Ballon Rouge / Brussels (BE)
MOVE THE CURTAINS / group exhibition / Collection KVG / Den Hague (NL)

2021
NADA PROJECT SPACE / solo exhibition / NYC (US)
BABY I’M NOT EVEN HERE. I’M A HALLUCINATION / solo exhibition / Ballon Rouge Collective / Brussels (BE)
HISK / group exhibition / Laureate show / Brussels (BE)
WITH PERMISSION FROM THE OFFICER / group exhibition / Amsterdam (NL)
FRIEZE LONDON / group exhibition / Stevenson Gallery / (UK)
NOWBELGIUMNOW / group exhibition / Antwerp (BE)
XL / group exhibition / Barbe Urbain / Ghent (BE)
SONSBEEK CONJUNCTIONS 20>24 / group exhibition / Arnhem (NL)
PROSPECTS AND CONCEPTS / group exhibition / Art Rotterdam (NL)
CRYPTID / group exhibition / Curated by Leo Chesneau / Greece
FUTURE TENSE OF THE PAST / group exhibition / Barbe Urbain / Ghent (BE)
HISK AFFAIR / group exhibition / Ballon Rouge Collective / Brussels (BE)
BXL X EMERGENT / group exhibition / Ballon Rouge Collective / Brussels (BE)
ART IS RATTATTATTING / group exhibition / Galerie van Gelder / Amsterdam (NL)
REGENERATE / group exhibition / WIELS / Brussels (BE)
TAROT EDITIONS / group exhibition / O19 / Ghent (BE)
HYPERMARKET / group exhibition / Kunsthal / Ghent (BE)
NEW SONGS FOR OLD CITIES / group exhibition / Netwerk / Aalst (BE)
FUTURE TENSE OF THE PAST / group exhibition / Barbe Urbain / Ghent (BE)

2020
6 DEGREES / group exhibition / Liebaert Projects / Ballon Rouge Collective / Kortrijk (BE)
DUST: THE PLATES OF PRESENT / group exhibition / Center Pompidou / Paris (FR)
AMUSE BOUCHE / group exhibition / Utrecht (NL)
SALON DES ARTISTES / group exhibition / Ronse (BE)
ART ROTTERDAM / group exhibition / Galerie van Gelder / Rotterdam (NL)

2019
ABOUT WHAT / solo exhibition / Galerie Van Gelder / Amsterdam (NL)
SLAAP LEKKER STUDIO / group exhibition / Galerie van Gelder / Amsterdam (NL)
RE / group exhibition / ReGallery / Groningen (NL)
ART ROTTERDAM / group exhibition / Galerie Van Gelder / Rotterdam (NL)
AANWAS V / group exhibition / Galerie Noord / Groningen (NL)

2018
FROM HERE, NOW / solo exhibition / Galerie van Gelder / Amsterdam (NL)
FRANKENSTEIN’S BACKPACK / group exhibition / WORM / Rotterdam (NL)
BUITEN WESTEN / group exhibition / Deventer (NL)
INTOTO 6 / group exhibition / Fondation d’entreprise Ricard / Paris (FR)
HEADLINERS / group exhibition / The Sugar Factory / Groningen (NL)
SAD ALCHEMY / group exhibition / Paul van Eerden / Museum de Buitenplaats / Eelde (NL)

2017
OPEN STUDIO MFA / group exhibition / Hunter College / New York, NY (USA)
FOMO / group exhibition / De Nieuwe Kolk / Assen (NL)
A STATE OF MIND / group exhibition / Haus34a (curated by Marc Bijl) / Bad Bentheim (DE)

Publications

2022
Exhibition catalogue / Saatchi Yates
HISK laureates / Various positions

2021
OKV
Subbacultcha
Jegens & Tevens
Best of Times, Worst of Times / HISK
Sonsbeek 20>24 / Catalogue
Prospects and Concepts Catalogue 2021
Collect Magazine
Hart magazine: Angazi, but I’m sure*

2020
DUST: The Plates of the Present Catalogue / Spector Books
Kunstmagazine / Nr. 7 Zomer 2020

Other

2022
Madrigals Scenography / by Benjamin Abel Meirhaeghe curated by Koi Persyn / (BE)

2020
Guest Lecturer / HKU / Utrecht (NL)
Curator / VHDG / Soundandclear.today / (NL)

2019
Programming team / VHDG / Leeuwarden (NL)
Curator / Back to Mohr / Artphy / Groningen (NL)

2016
StArt India / Mural Production / New Delhi (IN)
Installation team / Asim Waqif / Indian Art Fair / Nature Morte Gallery / New Delhi (IN)

Awards/Grants

2022 Mondrian Project Grant

2021 CoCA Art Commission

2019 Mondriaan Fond / Stipendum for Emerging Artists

2018 Shortlisted / George Verberg Stipend

2016 Holland Scholarship / Dutch Ministry of Education / Culture, and Science