Biography
Dbongz Mahlati is a self-taught muralist from Mohlakeng, west of Johannesburg. At 18, in 2008, he moved to the city and discovered the local mural scene at the Back to the City festival, where he encountered artists such as Faith47 and Rasty. He joined the Living Artists Emporium in 2017, honing his monumental portrait technique through daily observation and relentless practice.
His signature style is photorealistic, large-scale portraiture celebrating African cultural figures — musicians, community heroes, and women with strong tribal identities. His most recognised work, a near eight-storey depiction of an Ethiopian woman from the Masuri tribe on the facade of Access City in Maboneng, has become one of the precinct's defining visual landmarks. He has also painted jazz portrait series in Newtown and commissioned works for Apple Music.
Dbongz has expanded his practice beyond South Africa, with projects in New York and Angola. Convinced that 'colour brings life', he approaches every mural as a message to the community — each piece carrying a backstory for the passerby to discover.
His signature style is photorealistic, large-scale portraiture celebrating African cultural figures — musicians, community heroes, and women with strong tribal identities. His most recognised work, a near eight-storey depiction of an Ethiopian woman from the Masuri tribe on the facade of Access City in Maboneng, has become one of the precinct's defining visual landmarks. He has also painted jazz portrait series in Newtown and commissioned works for Apple Music.
Dbongz has expanded his practice beyond South Africa, with projects in New York and Angola. Convinced that 'colour brings life', he approaches every mural as a message to the community — each piece carrying a backstory for the passerby to discover.
The site contains a total of 1 artworks by Dbongz in 1 countries.
