PROFILE

Skumbuzo Salman is the founder of Skubalisto Studios, a Cape Town-based visual art practice working across studio painting, portraiture, and large-scale public muralism. Under the Skubalisto name, his intuitive, colour-driven portraits explore identity, memory, and the shared threads of human experience against the backdrop of contemporary African life. Since 2013 the studio’s work has expanded from Cape Town’s street-art scene into gallery representation, an international exhibition record spanning four continents, and public commissions including the 1,500m² Philippi Village silo mural — one of the largest mural installations in South African history.

EDUCATION

2008–2012BFA, Illustration; BFA, Computer Arts & New Media, Academy of Art University, San Francisco, USA

2006–2007Corporate Communication, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK

GALLERY REPRESENTATION

2026 - Artist, Fine Art Africa

2026 - Artist, ArtCrush Gallery, Belgium

2017 - Artist, Everard Read Gallery, Cape Town & Johannesburg

2022 - Exhibiting Artist, 99 Loop Gallery, Cape Town

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2024At the End of the Rainbow, 99 Loop Gallery, Cape Town

2022OURstory, 99 Loop Gallery, Cape Town (debut solo exhibition)

2012Solo Show, Downtown Skate Shop & Gallery, Tenderloin District, San Francisco, USA

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS & ART FAIRS

2026Global Billboard Exhibition, ArtCrush Gallery, Cape Town (current)

2025Ubuhle Bendalo Community Arts Festival, Cape Town (Feb)

2024Ubuhle Bendalo Community Arts Festival, Cape Town (Feb)

2024Dak’Art — Dakar Biennale, Dakar, Senegal (international biennale)

2023Group Exhibition, Everard Read CIRCA Gallery, Cape Town

2023Sanaa Exhibition, Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre, Adelaide, Australia

2023Bridges for Music Gala Auction, Cape Town

2023Bridges for Music Art Auction, London, UK

2022Salon Afrique, Homecoming Centre, Cape Town (curated by Madlozi Gallery)

2021Oasis — 25th Anniversary Group Exhibition, Everard Read Gallery, Cape Town

2021Cape Town Art Fair, Luigi De Sarrio Gallery, Cape Town

2020Winter Group Exhibition, Everard Read CIRCA Gallery, Cape Town

2020Seasons Cultural Exchange, Nairobi, Kenya (Dept of Arts & Culture SA)

2020Wavescape Art Board Auction, Cape Town

2019Winter Group Show, Everard Read CIRCA Gallery, Cape Town

2019Summer Cubicle Show, Everard Read CIRCA Gallery, Cape Town

2019Portrait Show, Everard Read Gallery, Johannesburg

2019“Be Real Black, For Me”, Madlozi Gallery, Johannesburg

2019Factious State of Severity, TMRW Gallery, Johannesburg

2019Live Installation Painting, Good Night Friday, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town

2018People and Portraiture, Everard Read CIRCA Gallery, Cape Town

2018Group Show, Boutique Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium

2017The Bridge Group Show, Grandaddy Boutique Hotel, Cape Town

2016Mme wa Morenea, WorldArt Stand, That Art Fair (Woodstock Art Fair), Cape Town

2013Group Show, The Lovell Gallery, Cape Town

2013Group Show, The Young Blood Gallery, Cape Town

2012Group Exhibition, 111 Minna Gallery, San Francisco, USA

RESIDENCIES

2023Artist Residency — Sanaa, Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre, Adelaide, Australia

2019ARP Artist Residency, Luigi De Sarrio Gallery, Rome, Italy

SELECTED PUBLIC & CORPORATE COMMISSIONS

2025Silo Murals, Philippi Village, Cape Town 1,500m² across industrial silos — one of the largest mural installations in South African history

2024Community Safety Mural, Philippi Village, Cape Town (commission, Global Freedom Fellowship)

2024Murals for Palestine, Bo-Kaap, Cape Town

2024Senegal Biennale Mural, Dakar, Senegal

2022Bridges for Music Academy Mural, Cape Town

2021Symbol of Hope Mural Series, Cape Town CBD (commission, CCID)

2021Old Flats Mural Project, Langa, Cape Town (City of Cape Town Municipality)

2021City of Cape Town Safety Mural, Camps Bay, Cape Town

2021Mail & Guardian Friday Cover Commission, national print — MF DOOM tribute portrait

2020The Great Unifier, Gugulethu Sports Complex, Cape Town 175m² mural (commission, City of Cape Town)

2019Future of Dunoon Mural, Dunoon, Cape Town (commission, City of Cape Town)

2019Dunoon Public Library Mural, Dunoon, Cape Town (City of Cape Town)

2019Philippi Tech Centre Mural Project, Philippi, Cape Town

2019ICLEI Mural Commission, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

2018Sea Rescue Team Mural, Monwabisi Beach, Cape Town (commission, NSRI)

2018NSRI Swimming Awareness Project, Cape Town

2018Desert Mural Installation, Richmond, Klein Karoo

2018XXXTentacion Mural Commission, Republic Records, Biscuit Mill, Cape Town

2017Gifts for My People, Langa, Cape Town (mural installation)

2017June 16th (Every Child Has a Dream), Langa, Cape Town with Lizolomzi Pikoli

2017Mural Installation, Education Centre, Gugulethu, Cape Town

2016Mother Is God, Langa, Cape Town (mural installation)

2015Samurai Getting Ready for Work, Langa, Cape Town (mural installation)

2014SADEC Regional Mural Tour, Zimbabwe & Mozambique murals in Harare & Victoria Falls; Beira, Vilanculos & Maputo

2014Large-Scale Mural, Maboneng, Johannesburg

2013RVCA Artist Network Mural Tour, Cape Town to Johannesburg

2013Marcus Garvey Mural Intervention, Hazard Gallery, Johannesburg

2008–2012Early Career Murals, San Francisco, New York & Los Angeles, USA incl. Brooklyn (NY); Staten Island tattoo parlour commission; South Central, Los Angeles; Malcolm X & Fred Hampton mural, Clarion Alley, Mission District, SF

AWARDS & GRANTS

2014Artist Grant, Ant Funding & Swiss Arts Council for SADEC regional mural tour

PRESS & FEATURES

2024IOL / Cape Argus, coverage of the Philippi Village silo mural

2022Creative Debuts, London, UK — artist feature

2020Street Art Africa, artist feature

2016Graffiti South Africa, artist feature

2015Red Bull Amaphiko Magazine, “Spray of Light”

2013OkayAfrica, “RVCA South Africa Dreams Close to Home”

—Shelf Life Magazine, “Artist Spotlight: Skumbuzo ‘Skubalisto’ Salman”

SKILLS & MEDIUMS

Large-scale mural painting & public art installation
Portraiture & figurative painting — acrylic, spray paint, oil, charcoal, pastel, ink, mixed media
Community engagement & workshop facilitation
Screen printing
Studio & project management — Founder, Skubalisto Studios