ABOUT KILO DAVINCI

Kabelo Manana, also known as Kilo_DaVinci, is a Black and Grey realism tattoo artist based in Clayville, currently tattooing at a studio he helped open and now manages.

His tattoo journey began in Midrand in February 2023, but his relationship with art started long before that. As a kid, Kabelo was always fascinated by realism art. He followed a Nigerian artists who created incredibly detailed portraits using nothing but BIC ballpoint pens.

"I remember thinking, how can someone create something so real with just a pen?" he says. That level of detail stayed with him.

During school, he spent most of his time drawing. He would sketch during class and take small portrait commissions from classmates at a very low cost, simply because he enjoyed drawing faces. At home, he collected magazines and spent hours recreating the faces on the covers.

"I was obsessed with faces," he explains. "I just wanted to get them right."

Although he never had the opportunity to attend art school, Kabelo was fortunate to have a high school mentor he fondly calls Mrs Muscheche. He would regularly show her his portraits, and she would critique and correct his work. Over time, his art improved drastically through her guidance.

"She didn't sugarcoat anything," he says. "But that's how I grew."

It was during this period that he realized a traditional 9 to 5 lifestyle was not meant for him. After finishing high school, he knew deep down that he was destined to become a portrait artist, traveling the world and exhibiting his work.

"That was always the dream," he says. "And it still is."

After completing high school and college, Kabelo worked in retail for a year and a half. A year after resigning, he decided to venture into tattooing. He had always felt a special sense of satisfaction creating artwork for people to display in their homes, but he wanted to take it further.

"I thought, why not put my art on people instead?" he says. "On their bodies, where it actually lives."

The trust his clients place in him to permanently mark their bodies with his work remains a humbling experience every time he starts a new piece.

"It never feels normal," he says. "In a good way."

His approach to tattooing is firmly rooted in realism. He focuses on thoughtful design selection, soft linework, smooth black shading, and fine detail. While he works with a variety of styles based on client requests, his true passion lies in black and grey realism, especially portrait tattoos.

"That's where my heart is," he explains.

Kabelo also draws from personal experiences with depression and loneliness, often exploring those emotions in his personal pieces. Creating art gives him a sense of escape and healing. At the same time, he enjoys working on tattoos that convey strength, mysticism, seduction, and beauty.

"When I'm working, I feel at peace," he says.

At the core of everything, Kabelo simply loves creating portrait tattoos that his clients connect with and that stand strong over time.

"If my client walks away happy and that tattoo still looks powerful years later," he says, "then I've done my job."