Sechaba Maape is an artist, academic, and designer based in Johannesburg, South Africa. He founded his practice Afreetekture in 2017 in which he draws on his doctoral research that investigated indigenous knowledge systems in his home region of the Northern Cape Province, an area that stands out for being the historic homeland of the First Nations of South Africa and its rich archaeological record, especially its rock art.

His artistic practice which involves mixed medium such as charcoal and ink drawing, sculpting, painting, and digital art including the use of generative AI reinterprets this tradition of rock art and its role as a mediator between culture and nature, using drawing to explore the philosophical and theoretical bases of his work and addressing themes such as indigenization, landscape, and the intersection of technology, art, and spirituality.

In 2023 he explored the integration of architecture, indigenous knowledge, and generative AI, with his findings presented at the Fak’ugesi festival in Johannesburg. He was also one of the curators for the South African Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, Laboratory of the Future under the curatorship of Lesley Lokko, where his digital drawings featured in his “Council of Non-Human Beings” exhibition. In 2024, he will commence with his new appointment as editor for the Journal of the South African Institute of Architects now called “Architectures”.
Maape is also involved in academia, teaching at the Wits School of Architecture and Planning, Africa’s first architecture school. This role includes convening a Master’s in Sustainable and Energy Efficient Cities as well as guiding Ph.D. students in research through artistic/creative practice.