He then carves into this piece of wood using a chisel and mallet. The result is a hybrid art-object, a bare, wooden, sculptural canvas. Sthenjwa then paints this object, introducing his figures, each one deterministically shackled to a life with little opportunity. This process is deeply rooted in tradition: African sculpture has historically used wood, as well as other organic indigenous materials. This connection to the past is so crucial, as it is through education and learning from history, that societies and collective thought can progress. However, Sthenjwa takes this tradition and adapts it with a decidedly contemporary visual language, hoping to use his art to engage and offer hope to younger generations.

Sthenjwa Luthuli, born in 1991 in Bothas Hill, KwaZulu-Natal, is a South African artist working primarily in carved wooden reliefs and woodcut prints. In 2011 he enrolled for the Velobala Saturday art classes hosted by the African art Centre at the Durban University of Technology. As a result of his dedication and commitment and overt talent he was selected to further take part in the Velobala mentorship program in 2012.

Recent solo exhibitions include:Inzalo Yelanga (BirthPlace Of The Sun), Unit, London, UK, Imbewu Yokhokho (The Seed of Our Ancestors), Gallery 1957, Accra, Ghana (2022); Imfumbatho, Unit, London, UK (2021) and Umthente Uhlaba Usamila, BKhz Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa (2021). Selected group exhibitions include Metamorphosis: Reshaping Contemporary Art, Harn Museum of Art, Florida, USA; Africa Inspires, Afrika Museum, Berg en Dal, Netherlands (2023); Museum Volkenkunde, Leiden, Netherlands (2023); 1-54 Art Fair, Unit, London, UK (2022); Liminality In Infinite Space, Mike Adenuga Centre, Ikoyi, Nigeria (2021).

Luthuli’s works are included in the permanent collections of the The Brooklyn Museum, New York, USA; Kunsthal KAdE Museum, Amersfoort, Netherlands; Schulting Art Collection, Wassenaar, Netherlands; Fubon Art Foundation, Taipei, Taiwan; Norval Foundation, Cape Town, South Africa; Oliewenhuis Museum, Bloemfontein, South Africa; Phansi Museum, Durban, South Africa and University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.