Sandile
Kgaphola.
The person behind SK Original. A self-taught artist whose practice begins with curiosity—and keeps finding new surfaces.
SANDILE KGAPHOLA / THE ARTIST BEHIND SK ORIGINAL
Rooted in a place.
Not limited by it.
Born in Cape Town and raised in Polokwane, Sandile Kgaphola is now based in Johannesburg. He began his professional art practice in 2020, building an approach grounded in handwork, experimentation and close attention to the individual.
He works across glass, graphite, charcoal, paint, pastels, yarn and mirrors. Portraiture connects these different materials: a face can emerge from fractured glass, appear in soft pastel or change as you walk past a two-sided painting.
His artist biography describes a practice concerned with identity, resilience and transformation. Alongside personal portraits, his work extends into collaborations, live art activations and brand projects.
Artist biography: SK Original’s official website.
“Everything I know,
Sandile Kgaphola, speaking to Daily Sun, December 2024
I taught myself.”
The journey,
still unfolding.
A professional practice begins.
His official biography dates the start of his professional art practice to 2020. Drawing and painting develop into a wider exploration of materials.
A portrait reaches Siya Kolisi.
A glass portrait circulated online and reached the Springbok captain, who accepted the work following the team’s World Cup return. Read the reporting.
Meeting Chris Brown.
With help from Major League DJz, Sandile presented his portrait to Chris Brown after the South African concert. Read the interview.
The material keeps changing.
Pastel self-portraits, tufted rugs, two-sided paintings and mirror-reflection work sit alongside his signature glass portraits in the portfolio.
A bigger ambition
for home.
In his Daily Sun interview, Sandile spoke about wanting to open galleries in Polokwane where young artists could exhibit and find inspiration. Recognition matters, but so does creating space for the next artist.
Not every celebrity portrait is a commission or a completed handover. In December 2023, he told The Citizen that his Kendrick Lamar tribute remained with him after an unsuccessful attempt to meet the musician. The experience had given it personal meaning.
Your story.
An original.
A portrait. A collaboration.
A new way of seeing.