Xolelwa Malinga (b. 2001) is a multidisciplinary artist from the Kingdom of Eswatini. Once she attained her degree in Visual Arts and Communication Design, she went on to pursue Fine Arts, developing a practice centered on the Black female form as a vessel of emotional and cultural storytelling. Through acrylic, oil and mixed media, she explores how posture, gesture, and presence can communicate complex inner states — transforming the body into both subject and language.

Malinga’s work examines notions of beauty, freedom, and self-acceptance within the context of African womanhood, challenging inherited perceptions shaped by colonialism and contemporary media. Each piece becomes a meditation on reclamation — redefining how African women see themselves and are seen by the world.

In 2024, Malinga had the privilege of showing her work in Dubai as one of 108 women selected globally for Art Connects Women, where she was honored with the Art Connects Women Award for her role as Swazi Ambassador during the exhibition’s 7th edition. That same year, she held her first solo exhibition at Alliance Française de Mbabane in her home city, and her work was chosen for Miami Art Week, exhibiting alongside other African female artists. Later, her work was featured at the RMB Latitudes Art Fair in Johannesburg, an event that introduced her to fellow African visual artists and expanded her presence within the continent’s contemporary art scene.

Beyond her studio practice, Malinga is the founder of The Phumula Project, an initiative that uses art as a tool for therapy, collective healing, and cultural dialogue. Her ongoing exploration sits at the intersection of emotion, form, and liberation — an ever-evolving study of what it means to return to oneself.