If you’ve spent any time on South African social media, chances are you’ve seen SK Original’s work go viral. Here’s a quick look at the artist behind the name.
Who Is SK Original?
Behind the name is Sandile Kgaphola, a self-taught visual artist from Polokwane, Limpopo, now based in Johannesburg. He’s best known for his signature “cracked glass” portraits, alongside pencil drawings and customised art rugs. He taught himself the craft entirely from scratch after his mother first encouraged him to paint on cloth as a child.
From Local Talent To International Recognition
His big break came in 2023, when a broken glass tribute of Springbok captain Siya Kolisi went viral just before the Rugby World Cup final. Kolisi reached out directly, meeting Kgaphola in person to receive the piece.
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Since then, his client list has grown to include Kendrick Lamar, Summer Walker, Chris Brown, Kabza De Small, Uncle Waffles, and more, mostly tributes he creates out of passion rather than commissions.
What’s Next
Kgaphola hopes to one day open art galleries in Polokwane to support young local artists. For now, he keeps releasing new work on Instagram (@sk_original_rsa), with his growing celebrity fanbase showing no signs of slowing down.
