Actofel Ilovu (b. 1984) was born in Ondangwa and now lives in Windhoek. He graduated from the College of the Arts in 2010 and received his higher diploma in visual art and advertising from the University of Namibia in 2016. He is an integral part of the Namibian art community working as a curator and artist, conceptualizing both collaborative and solo projects. The artist is well known for his smoke paintings on paper. While his work often reflects on and critiques the socio-political landscape of Namibia, he also draws on personal experience.

As a child Ilovu suffered severe burns from a fire and says that “because of the fire that burnt me, I was rejected by many, including myself, while growing up; it wasn’t easy to look different from other kids. As an adult I have fallen in love with my scars and I look at myself as an art piece created by that fire.” In his most recent works, Ilovu continues to grapple with the human experience. In the ‘I See…’ series, Ilovu works with linocuts and the motif of the marula nut. You can read more about these works on our blog.

Collections: Bank Windhoek (Namibia), SME Bank of Namibia, Private Collections: Namibia, UK