Baba Tjeko was born in Vredefort, South Africa, in 1985 and grew up in Parys, South Africa. He currently lives and works in Cape Town, South Africa. Baba graduated from the National Electronic Media Institute of South Africa (NEMISA) with a National Diploma in Creative Multimedia, majoring in Advertising Design.

He is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice is centered around the intersection of past and present, exploring materiality and diverse subject matters. His work investigates the tensions between nostalgia and modernity, weaving together his love for vintage aesthetics, historical archives with an interest in technology. Baba works with a variety of mediums ranging from charcoal, oil, acrylic, digital illustration and animation.

Known for bold, colourful illustrative designs that are re-imagining the future of Ditema, a traditional mural art in Basotho culture, Tjeko has went on to develop a new visual language that fuses a variety of styles to create compelling collage paintings and works on paper. With underlying themes of history, memory, and human interaction, Baba Tjeko’s work challenges modern society’s values and invites reflection on our place in the digital era. In 2025, Tjeko presented new works in an Artist Room at SMAC Gallery.

Selected group exhibitions include: Investec Cape Town Art Fair 2025, Hold that Thought, Kalashnikovv Art Gallery & Latitudes Centre for the Arts collaboration, Johannesburg, South Africa and The Un-turning Wheel, 99 Loop Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa both in 2024; Loud and Clear, SMAC Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa in 2023; Endangered Species, Kalashnikovv Art Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa in 2022.

Tjeko collaborated with Nedbank International Polo in 2022 on their New Mobility Activation. Other notable collaborations are: Stella Artois Africa’s Pure Malt Installation in Durban, South Africa and Nespresso’s World Explorations Campaign in Cape Town, South Africa both in 2021; Stella Artois Africa’s Social Distancing Campaign in Johannesburg, South Africa; MINI Cooper’s Modern African Gentleman Campaign in Johannesburg, South Africa; Channel O’s Music over Everything Campaign in Johannesburg, South Africa.