Hailing from the Eastern Cape, Tangerine Water is a self-taught artist whose work is inspired by their lived experiences – “how one can live beyond that, heal and maybe, hopefully, imagine something else, something free”.
Tangerine Water will be working closely with Anelisa Mangcu who will facilitate their needs and direct them to other Orms Circle mentors – Haneem Christian, Tyra Naidoo, Toby Orford and Savannah Feeke – based on what they require support with.
Orms Circle will provide Tangerine Water with the opportunity to create a body of work with the support of the mentors, as well as their first solo exhibition which will be hosted in the new Orms building, Form. This will include studio space, lighting and gear as well as printing and framing services, and other additional requirements.
Born and raised in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape, Tangerine Water (formerly known as Yonela Makoba and Tangie for short) went on to study their undergraduate degree at the University of Cape Town, where they graduated with a BSc in environmental and geographic science.
After graduating, they pursued their passion for using their politics, lived experiences and imagination to tell stories, write and rewrite history using visuals. A significant part of their development Tangerine attributes to their mentors and involvement in the many productions alongside them, the most notable being that of flowers of Africa, an exhibition of Kapwani Kiwanga’s work at Goodman Gallery in Johannesburg in 2017.
They have been mentored and working with the creative director, photographer and stylist, Gabrielle Kannemeyer – where they had the opportunity to assistant style the Petite Noir visual album.
In March 2018, they were a resident in the Anybody Zine movement residency, where their journey in movement began and, in September of that year, they had the privilege to be part of Athi-Patra Ruga’s ‘things we lost in the rainbow’ procession, where they were one of the queer femme bodies in Ruga’s world called ‘Azania’.
Their photo series titled flowers of the revolution currently hangs on the walls of the UCT administration building, the Bremner Building.
*The pronoun “they/them” used throughout is not in reference to gender identity but rather the acknowledgement of the multiplicity of beings, who they were, who they are and who they will be. It is the acknowledgement of change within Yonela Makoba’s life.
