Julie Mehretu

Mehretu's huge abstract paintings layer architectural drawings and map-like aerial views of cities under storms of marks, so a canvas feels like a city seen during an upheaval. She was born in Addis Ababa in 1970 and works in New York, and her Ensemble at Palazzo Grassi in Venice in 2024 was the largest exhibition of her work yet held in Europe. The next chance to see her is in Cape Town. She was chosen to paint the 20th BMW Art Car, and it anchors Turning Towards the Sun at Zeitz MOCAA, shown in the museum's Atrium Bowl from December 11, 2026, to August 15, 2027, in an exhibition made with the African Film and Media Arts Collective, which she co-leads.