Gina-Rose Bolligello

South Africa

Photography, Video, and Printmaking by Gina-Rose Bolligello

South African Contemporary Art and Colonial Memory

Fine Art Collectors and Emerging African Artists

"Gina-Rose Bolligello’s work is rooted in a desire to illuminate the hidden and the silenced. She explores the colonial past of the Cape through a hauntological lens, reimagining lives that history has neglected. Where visual records are missing, she introduces ‘ghosts’ - imagined figures that embody memory, resistance, and the persistence of presence.

Through photography, video, and printmaking, Bolligello creates poetic visual narratives that educate, remember, and honour those whose stories remain untold. Her work invites viewers to consider history not as a fixed archive, but as a living space shaped by what is seen, felt, and remembered.
"

MEET

Gina-Rose Bolligello

Gina-Rose Bolligello (b. 2001, Cape Town, South Africa) is a visual artist based in Cape Town, where she currently lives and works. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Cape Town in 2024 and was awarded both the Simon Gerson Prize and the Director’s Award for her final body of work at the Michaelis School of Fine Art.

Working across photography, video, and printmaking, her practice engages deeply with hauntology and the colonial history of the Cape. She uses these mediums to explore overlooked historical narratives and give presence to lives and stories that have been erased or left undocumented.

Her recent exhibitions include the Art School Africa 2024 Summer Exhibition and Spier Light Art 2025.

FROM OUR BLOGUE
Abidjan’s New Wave: Young Artists Shaping Ivory Coast’s Creative Future

Abidjan is experiencing a vibrant artistic renaissance, fuelled by new galleries, residencies and state funding. A “new wave” of artists — from Carl-Edouard Keïta’s revival of Goumbé traditions to Mimi Brignon’s urban collages, Adjoba Marie’s surrealist self-portraits, Massa-Chula’s powerful mask reinterpretations, and Angelo N’Guessan’s street murals — is reshaping Ivory Coast’s cultural identity. Together, they place Abidjan at the forefront of Contemporary African Art and the global conversation on Black Art.

Continue Reading
Rethinking a Colonial Legacy: Dr El Hadji Malick Ndiaye’s Mission to Decolonise Dakar’s Museum

At the heart of Dakar, a quiet but radical transformation is underway. Dr El Hadji Malick Ndiaye, curator of the Théodore Monod Museum of African Art, is leading a profound effort to decolonise an institution built for colonisers. Through critical reinterpretation, artistic collaboration, and cultural activism, he is reframing the museum not as a place of frozen pasts, but as a living, breathing space of African knowledge, pride, and imagination.

Continue Reading
Forbes África Lusófona Highlights Afrikanizm’s Model for Building the African Art Economy

In an op-ed for Forbes África Lusófona, João Boavida, founder of Afrikanizm Art, lays out a bold new vision for African art. He argues that the future lies not in charity, but in structure, visibility, and fair opportunity. Through a model grounded in equity, mentorship, and sustainable growth, Afrikanizm Art is helping transform African artists from overlooked talents into central players in the global market.

Continue Reading
Getty Foundation Invests $2.6M in Unearthing Black Art History

The Getty Foundation has awarded $2.6 million to expand its Black Visual Arts Archives initiative, empowering 12 U.S. institutions—libraries, museums, and universities—to catalogue, digitise, and bring Black art histories into public view. This multi-year commitment spotlights previously overlooked collections, transforming archives into dynamic cultural touchpoints and promoting long-overdue visibility for Black artists and institutions.

Continue Reading

Commision An Artwork
By This Artist

We can arrange and oversee the creation of a new work made specifically for you