Artist Biography

Philile Nkabinde (she/they) is a Johannesburg-based writer whose curiosity lies in carving African stories through the primary use of poetry, sound and performance art. Throughout their work, they explore the connection we have as people across the African diaspora, to our innermost selves, nature, ancestry and spirituality.

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Philile is a published poet, copywriter, meditation-movement improviser and story-offerer whose expressionistic work seeks to reveal the inner wor(l)ds of being, believing and breathing in relation to self, God and the nuanced human experience. She uses her intuitive curiosity to write and offer poetic stories that explore the art of being.

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They have had the honour of offering their stories in the form of performance art and spoken word accompanied by variations of sound and visual elements. The spaces that have invited Philile to perform include JIAS (Johannesburg Institute for Advanced/ African Studies), Among The Lilies, Reel To Reality Film Festival, Kidz of Biko and T.H.A.T Tuesday Funk.

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Philile has had 4 of their poems published in the anthology ‘Woven with Brown Thread’ (edited by Upile Chisala). As a Converse creative ambassador, they went on to publish ‘A Letter for the Free’ in the All Stars Family Unity Book powered by the brand Converse.