LAYZIEHOUND COKA
(b.1982, South Africa, Lives and works in Johannesburg)
Layziehound Coka’s practice has evolved from a figurative foundation into a deeply intuitive and emotionally driven process. Rather than depicting what is seen, he now seeks to express what is felt—creating intimate skies and inner spaces that originate from within. His canvases are emotional landscapes, shaped by an ongoing exploration of memory, mood, and personal reflection.
Living and working within his studio, Layziehound engages in a continuous and immersive process. Mark-making becomes a constant rhythm, a meditative act that persists until the work naturally leaves the studio. This uninterrupted environment fosters a raw and unfiltered connection between his inner world and the surface of the canvas.
Each piece is rooted in personal experience, with Layziehound drawing upon his life stories to inform the emotional tone of the work. The titles—offered in Zulu or English—serve as symbolic reflections of the feelings he experienced during the creation of each piece. These titles are suggestive of shared human emotions, inviting viewers to connect through their own interpretations and lived experiences.
As he has moved further from the figurative, Layziehound has embraced the freedom of an intuitive approach. He describes this process as “singing a beautiful song through paint,” where abstraction allows for a more honest and expansive expression. Using acrylics, oils, and mixed media, he layers colour, form, and gesture to evoke rather than define—presenting life through an abstracted lens that values emotional truth over representation.
At its core, Layziehound’s work is a personal search for understanding and self-expression. His paintings are visual conversations with himself, translations of unseen emotional and psychological states. Through colour, texture, and movement, he captures the non-representational aspects of life, encouraging viewers to feel, reflect, and engage with the work on an intuitive level.
Layziehound Coka’s practice has evolved from a figurative foundation into a deeply intuitive and emotionally driven process. Rather than depicting what is seen, he now seeks to express what is felt—creating intimate skies and inner spaces that originate from within. His canvases are emotional landscapes, shaped by an ongoing exploration of memory, mood, and personal reflection.
Living and working within his studio, Layziehound engages in a continuous and immersive process. Mark-making becomes a constant rhythm, a meditative act that persists until the work naturally leaves the studio. This uninterrupted environment fosters a raw and unfiltered connection between his inner world and the surface of the canvas.
Each piece is rooted in personal experience, with Layziehound drawing upon his life stories to inform the emotional tone of the work. The titles—offered in Zulu or English—serve as symbolic reflections of the feelings he experienced during the creation of each piece. These titles are suggestive of shared human emotions, inviting viewers to connect through their own interpretations and lived experiences.
As he has moved further from the figurative, Layziehound has embraced the freedom of an intuitive approach. He describes this process as “singing a beautiful song through paint,” where abstraction allows for a more honest and expansive expression. Using acrylics, oils, and mixed media, he layers colour, form, and gesture to evoke rather than define—presenting life through an abstracted lens that values emotional truth over representation.
At its core, Layziehound’s work is a personal search for understanding and self-expression. His paintings are visual conversations with himself, translations of unseen emotional and psychological states. Through colour, texture, and movement, he captures the non-representational aspects of life, encouraging viewers to feel, reflect, and engage with the work on an intuitive level.
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2022 Diaries of Injustice (Studio Nxumalo Gallery, Johannesburg, ZA)
2023 Field of Dreams (Turbine Art Fair, IBI Gallery, Johannesburg, ZA)
2022 Diaries of Injustice (Studio Nxumalo Gallery, Johannesburg, ZA)
2021 Finding My Nirvana (@Youngblood Gallery, Cape Town, ZA)
2017 Not a Judge, Not a Saint (Eclectica Contemporary, Cape Town, ZA)
2017 Guns are Drawn (Julie Miller Investment Art, Johannesburg, ZA)
2017 Dream Chasers (ODA Gallery, Franschhoek, ZA)
2016 Reconnection (IBI Art, Alliance Francaise, Johannesburg, ZA)
2016 Unfettered Egos and the Absence of Substance (MAP Contemporary, Johannesburg, ZA)
2016 What Change There Is? (Gavin’s Projects Gallery, Johannesburg, ZA)
2010 Do What You Love and Love What You Do (The Chemistry, Johannesburg, ZA)
2009 Love Matters: Concerto no. 26 (Unity Art Gallery, Johannesburg, ZA)
Selected Group Exhibitions & Art Fairs
2020 Return to Surreal (LITTY Contemporary, Cape Town, ZA)
2019 ART Madrid (Madrid, ES)
2019 START Art Fair (London, UK)
2019 Group Exhibition (ODA, Franschhoek, ZA)
2019 Group Exhibition (AGOG Gallery, Johannesburg, ZA)
2018 Talking to Deaf Ears (ABSA Bank, Johannesburg, ZA)
2018 Aftermath (Rand Merchant Bank, Johannesburg, ZA)
2018 18 Nova Exclubition (August House Studios, Johannesburg, ZA)
2017 Solstice (ODA Fine Art, Franschhoek, ZA)
2017 Pan Africa (ODA Fine Art, Franschhoek, ZA)
2017 Hazardous Diction (13th Floor Gallery, Johannesburg, ZA)
2017 Dream Chasers (ODA Gallery, Franschhoek, ZA)
2016 Considering Genius (Res Gallery, Johannesburg, ZA)
2016 August House (Hazard Gallery, Johannesburg, ZA)
2016 What Change There Is? (Gavin’s Projects Gallery, Johannesburg, ZA)
2016 Africa Art (NY Affordable Art Fair, New York, US)
2016 Grey Areas (Trent Gallery, Pretoria, ZA)
2015 Eye Art (Gavin’s Projects, Johannesburg, ZA)
2015 Turbine Art Fair (Bayliss Gallery, Johannesburg, ZA)
2015 Jo’burg Art Week (August House Gallery, Johannesburg, ZA)
2014 Art (Gavin’s Projects, Johannesburg, ZA)
2012 World Summit (IDC, Johannesburg, ZA)
2011 Collaborate (Unity Art Gallery, Johannesburg, ZA)
2010 Collaborate (Unity Art Gallery, Johannesburg, ZA)
2010 Wasted (Unity Art Gallery, Johannesburg, ZA)
2009 Thami Mnyele Award Exhibition (Johannesburg, ZA)
2009 Sasol Signature Award Exhibition (Pretoria Museum, Pretoria, ZA)
2009 Love Matters: Concerto no. 26 (Unity Art Gallery, Johannesburg, ZA)
2008 ABSA Competition (ABSA Gallery, Johannesburg, ZA)
2008 Unity (Unity Art Gallery, Johannesburg, ZA)
2022 Diaries of Injustice (Studio Nxumalo Gallery, Johannesburg, ZA)
2023 Field of Dreams (Turbine Art Fair, IBI Gallery, Johannesburg, ZA)
2022 Diaries of Injustice (Studio Nxumalo Gallery, Johannesburg, ZA)
2021 Finding My Nirvana (@Youngblood Gallery, Cape Town, ZA)
2017 Not a Judge, Not a Saint (Eclectica Contemporary, Cape Town, ZA)
2017 Guns are Drawn (Julie Miller Investment Art, Johannesburg, ZA)
2017 Dream Chasers (ODA Gallery, Franschhoek, ZA)
2016 Reconnection (IBI Art, Alliance Francaise, Johannesburg, ZA)
2016 Unfettered Egos and the Absence of Substance (MAP Contemporary, Johannesburg, ZA)
2016 What Change There Is? (Gavin’s Projects Gallery, Johannesburg, ZA)
2010 Do What You Love and Love What You Do (The Chemistry, Johannesburg, ZA)
2009 Love Matters: Concerto no. 26 (Unity Art Gallery, Johannesburg, ZA)
Selected Group Exhibitions & Art Fairs
2020 Return to Surreal (LITTY Contemporary, Cape Town, ZA)
2019 ART Madrid (Madrid, ES)
2019 START Art Fair (London, UK)
2019 Group Exhibition (ODA, Franschhoek, ZA)
2019 Group Exhibition (AGOG Gallery, Johannesburg, ZA)
2018 Talking to Deaf Ears (ABSA Bank, Johannesburg, ZA)
2018 Aftermath (Rand Merchant Bank, Johannesburg, ZA)
2018 18 Nova Exclubition (August House Studios, Johannesburg, ZA)
2017 Solstice (ODA Fine Art, Franschhoek, ZA)
2017 Pan Africa (ODA Fine Art, Franschhoek, ZA)
2017 Hazardous Diction (13th Floor Gallery, Johannesburg, ZA)
2017 Dream Chasers (ODA Gallery, Franschhoek, ZA)
2016 Considering Genius (Res Gallery, Johannesburg, ZA)
2016 August House (Hazard Gallery, Johannesburg, ZA)
2016 What Change There Is? (Gavin’s Projects Gallery, Johannesburg, ZA)
2016 Africa Art (NY Affordable Art Fair, New York, US)
2016 Grey Areas (Trent Gallery, Pretoria, ZA)
2015 Eye Art (Gavin’s Projects, Johannesburg, ZA)
2015 Turbine Art Fair (Bayliss Gallery, Johannesburg, ZA)
2015 Jo’burg Art Week (August House Gallery, Johannesburg, ZA)
2014 Art (Gavin’s Projects, Johannesburg, ZA)
2012 World Summit (IDC, Johannesburg, ZA)
2011 Collaborate (Unity Art Gallery, Johannesburg, ZA)
2010 Collaborate (Unity Art Gallery, Johannesburg, ZA)
2010 Wasted (Unity Art Gallery, Johannesburg, ZA)
2009 Thami Mnyele Award Exhibition (Johannesburg, ZA)
2009 Sasol Signature Award Exhibition (Pretoria Museum, Pretoria, ZA)
2009 Love Matters: Concerto no. 26 (Unity Art Gallery, Johannesburg, ZA)
2008 ABSA Competition (ABSA Gallery, Johannesburg, ZA)
2008 Unity (Unity Art Gallery, Johannesburg, ZA)