Ed Young (b. 1978) is a South African artist based in Cape Town, whose practice spans nearly two decades and includes a diverse range of media such as painting, sculpture, installation, video, performance, and writing. His conceptual approach addresses themes of identity, cultural critique, and social commentary, often exploring the complexities of contemporary life.
Recent solo exhibitions include *Works of Insignificance* at Suburbia Contemporary in Spinnerei Leipzig (November 1, 2024 – January 4, 2025) and *If Only I Liked You a Little Bit More and You Liked Me a Little Less* at Suburbia Contemporary, Barcelona (2024). Other solo projects have included *The Motherfucker* at the Loop Festival in Barcelona (2022), *HERO* at Open 24hrs in Cape Town (2019), and *Bad Taste* at the Cape Town Art Fair (2019).
Young’s works have also been featured in numerous group exhibitions, including *NO SHOW MUSEUM: From Dada to Nada* at Helmhaus Zürich (2019), *OUR LADY* at the Iziko South African National Gallery, Cape Town (2016), and *IMAGO MUNDI* at Fondazione Cini in Venice (2015). In addition, he has participated in key art fairs such as FNB Art Joburg (2024, 2023), Art Brussels (2024), and the Investec Cape Town Art Fair (2024, 2025). His work has been presented at renowned international venues, including the Armory Show in New York (2016) and Artissima in Turin, Italy (2015, 2016).
Young’s art is represented in prominent collections, such as the Iziko South African National Gallery, the A4 Arts Foundation, the Southern African Foundation for Contemporary Art, and the Luciano Benetton Collection at Fondazione Imago Mundi, Treviso, Italy. His work is also held by the NO SHOW MUSEUM in Zürich.
In addition to his exhibitions, Young has participated in artist residencies, including the INDEX: Freiraum-Stipendium in Zürich (2018) and the 25 Hours Hotel residency (2019). His special projects include *ALL SO FUCKING AFRICAN* at The Armory Show in New York (2016), where he explored African perspectives in contemporary art. Through these diverse projects and exhibitions, Young continues to engage with both global and local narratives in a compelling way.
