THE ART OF BECOMING: Naledi Art

In a world that often overlooks the power of women in the creative space, Naledi Art is  boldly, intentionally becoming a powerful voice and changing the narrative. In this first issue of Elėvė Magazine, we honour the women who are not only creating art but reshaping how we see ourselves through it. At the heart of this conversation is Naledi Zondi known as Naledi Art, a South African visual artist and entrepreneur whose work is layered as the woman behind it.

“My work speaks for itself.”

Naledi Art

Navigating male-dominated industries added its own challenges—sexism, stereotyping, being underestimated, and even having her business strategies copied. Reinvention became her survival strategy. “It’s frustrating when ideas like sip-and-paints that you pioneered are replicated. But instead of being defeated, I ask: how do I do it differently, how do I stand out, how do I benefit from my own work?”

Through it all, she remains grounded by a strong foundation. Raised in a supportive family, she has never let underestimation define her. “I live in a bubble,” she smiles. “My work speaks for itself.”

That authenticity carries into her art. Her first solo exhibition, The Profile Series in (2021), invited audiences to look beyond appearances and titles to see people as they are. In her Bloom Series (2024), she celebrated the quiet resilience of womanhood—being a sister, a partner, a mother, simply being alive. Her work, deeply rooted in her womanhood, insists on visibility without condition: women are worthy of being seen just as they are.

Now entering her thirties, she embraces becoming in new ways. Having reached remarkable milestones in corporate marketing—sitting on Norcros SA’s first women’s board, project managing the pioneering Women in Plumbing program, and leading a national pad drive that donated over 4,000 pads—she now leans into her award-winning art business and a life filled with family, friends, and love. “My twenties were for corporate goals. My thirties are for me, the artist at heart.”

She carries a message for the next generation of women artists: do it all. “We don’t only have to be artists and creatives. We can dominate in many spaces. Most importantly, we must collaborate. When women create together, share audiences, and open doors for one another—we win. Because the boys already have each other’s backs.”

For her, legacy is about more than recognition; it is about radiance. Her name means “Star,” and she has always believed her purpose is to shine—sometimes boldly, sometimes gently, but always bringing light. “I hope my journey helps others find the bright side of life,” she says. “I pray my art brings light and hope wherever it lives. That’s where my legacy lies—in the lives I’ve touched, and in the art I’ve breathed life into.”

In her story, becoming is not a final destination but a living, evolving art form—an endless unfolding of brilliance, resilience, and light.

CREDITS

Photography – Daah Phototgraphy & Mawande Kheswa Imaging
Retouching – Sabelo Magwaza
Lighting – Mawande Kheswa
Studio – Motion Studioz
Set Design – Naledi Art
Make-Up – Aura Dandelion Beauty
Hairstyling – Lee Beauty
Hair – ONatural Wigs/ Luvme Hair