There’s a shift happening in culture right now and you can feel it. Not loud, not forced, just a quiet correction. At the centre of it is Fhatuwani Mukheli, a multi-disciplinary artist whose work is doing something powerful, rewriting the way we see ourselves.

This April, he steps onto a global stage, showcasing a new body of work at EXPO CHICAGO in partnership with Gallery MOMO. While that might sound like a big art world moment, what it really is, is a South African creative taking up space internationally, on his own terms. There is something deeply poetic about that. A month that commemorates freedom, dignity and access for us now becomes the backdrop for a South African artist to enter spaces that, historically, were never built for him. Spaces where Black bodies were once excluded, now reimagined through his work, on his own terms.

To understand why this matters, you have to look at what he’s actually doing.

Mukheli takes inspiration from classical art, think Renaissance paintings, the kind you’ve seen in museums or history books, and flips it. Where Black people were once missing, he places them at the centre as the main story.

“The idea for this collection came from a deep reflection on art history and the realisation that black bodies were largely excluded from it,” he says. “I began to imagine what it would look like if we placed African figures at the centre of that visual language. It’s about presence, dignity and rewriting narratives that historically left us out.”

What makes his work stand out is how he does it.

There’s no chaos. No need to shock. His pieces are calm, soft, and intentional. His subjects are resting, thinking, and existing in their own space. It’s a reminder that Black identity doesn’t always have to be loud to be powerful. It’s in the stillness.

Even the titles tell a story. Black Caesar, African Venus, Guardian of the Threshold. Names that place Black figures into spaces they’ve historically been left out of, while also creating new narratives entirely.

Visually, the work moves between two worlds. One is muted and classic, inspired by old-school Renaissance tones. The other is rich, bold red, pulled from Mukheli’s Venda roots and the soil of Limpopo. It’s where global meets personal, where history meets home.

Beyond the technique, beyond the references, this is really about something bigger.

It’s about seeing yourself in spaces you were never meant to exist in, understanding that your story, your identity, and your presence belongs everywhere.

This is about culture shifting. It’s about a new generation of African creatives showing up differently, telling their own stories and doing it without asking for permission.

As Fhatuwani Mukheli heads to EXPO CHICAGO, it’s clear that this is a reminder.

That we get to redefine the narrative, that we get to take up space and that the future of culture belongs to those bold enough to imagine it differently.