BAHATI SIMOENS
b.1992, Munanira, Burundi
바하티 시모엔스(Bahati Simoens) 작가는 벨기에-콩고 출신의 아티스트로 현재 남아프리카의 요하네스버그에 거주하고 있습니다. 1992년 동아프리카 부룬디에서 태어났으며, 2021년부터 시각 예술가로서의 전문적인 활동을 시작했습니다.
시모엔스는 자신의 작업을 흑인의 몸에 대한 러브레터라고 설명합니다. 이는 '한낮의 태양 아래 펼쳐지는 밝은 빛과 깊은 그림자가 조화롭게 공존하는 몽상'과 같은 시각적 언어로 표현됩니다. 그녀의 작품은 일상에서의 경험과 어린 시절의 개인적인 기억에서 영감을 받은 생동감 넘치는 구상 회화로, 작품 속 인물들은 따뜻한 분위기와 부드러운 색감으로 화면을 채웁니다. 자신의 정체성을 찾아가는 직관적인 자기 치유의 과정으로 시작된 작업은 이제 관람자에게 거울을 비추는 듯한 느낌을 줍니다. 시모엔스는 자신만의 소속감에 대한 독특한 시선을 통해, 흑인들이 존중받고 있다는 느낌을 받게 하고 그들 스스로도 몰랐던 마음 속 결핍을 채워주는 감정을 전달하고자 합니다.
시모엔스 작가의 작품은 The New York Times, WePresent, ItsNiceThat, Metal Magazine, Inbtwn Magazine 등에 소개되었으며, Selfridges, Nataal, Jacob Banks, Jack Davison/LooseJoints와의 협업도 진행한 바 있습니다.
Bahati Simoens is a Belgian-Congolese artist, currently based in Johannesburg (South Africa). Bahati was born in Munanira (Burundi, 1992) and started her professional career as a visual artist in 2021.
She describes her practise to be a love letter to the Black body. A visual language that feels like 'a daydream under the midday sun, where bright light and deep shadows coexist harmoniously'. Vibrant figurative paintings heavily inspired by personal childhood memories combined with everyday life experiences. Bahati’s figures take up space through a colourful softness and a warm demeanor.
What started as an intuitive form of self therapy, searching for a sense of home, now feels like holding up the mirror to her viewers. Through a whimsical lens of her own sense of belonging Bahati’s aim is to make Black people feel seen and leave them with a feeling they themselves didn’t know was missing within.
Bahati’s work has been featured on The New York Times, WePresent, ItsNiceThat, Metal Magazine and Inbtwn Magazine. As well as collaborations with Selfridges, Nataal, Jacob Banks and Jack Davison/LooseJoints.

WORKS



Howzit?
2024
Made of moonlight
2024
Daddy never came with flowers
2024
CV
EXHIBITIONS
2025
Light Across Layers at N Gallery (Seongnam, Korea)
Microcosmos at N Gallery (Seongnam, Korea)
N Gallery Collection at N Gallery (Seongnam, Korea)
2024
Sunset Market, Solo exhibition currently on view at BKhz (Johannesburg, SA)
CURA - circuito urbano de arte (art festival), mural invitation 417m2 building (Belo Horizonte, Brazil)
2023
The Halfway line, Solo exhibition presented by Botho Project Space (Cape Town, SA)
Ulwandle, Solo exhibition at Jac Forbes (Malibu, United States)
Intimate at 1-54 London, Presented by BKhz (Bahati Simoens, Talia Ramkilawan, Mercy, Mashudu Nevhutalu & Tatenda Chidora)
2022
Jasmine like Summer, Independent and entirely autonomous solo exhibition (Antwerp, Belgium)
GANG GANG at Investec Cape Town Art Fair, Presented by Botho Project Space (Bahati Simoens, Cinthia Sifa Mulanga & Muofhe Manavhela)
Botho Art Collective, First Artist led art fair - Nelson Makamo, Trevor Stuurman, Bahati Simoens, Cristina Martinez, Brandon Deener, Maya Seas, Mbali Dhlamini, Corey Pemberton, Ambrose Murray & Lebohang Kganye (Los Angeles, United States)
Rise, Group exhibition - Bahati Simoens, Virgil Abloh, Jean Michel Basquiat, Paa Joe, Edozie Anedu, Salassie & Mr. StarCity- at NBB Gallery (Berlin, Germany)
If not now, then when? Group exhibition at BKhz (Johannesburg, SA)
2021
Ndoimadzi, Group exhibition - Bahati Simoens, Imraan Christian, Lulama Wolf, Zandile Tshabalala, Frans Thoka & Katlego Tlabela -at Botho Project Space (Johannesburg, South Africa)
Charcoal Swans under the sun, Solo exhibition at La Causa Galeria (Madrid, Spain)
Go & Grow, Solo exhibition at Medium Tings (New York, United States)
Investec Cape Town Art Fair, Presented by Botho Project Space (South Africa)