B A H A T I
S I M O E N S


 


© Nondumiso Shange  
 
© JorgeMezaPhotos



Bahati Simoens is a Belgian-Congolese artist, currently based in Johannesburg (South Africa).
Bahati was born in Munanira (Burundi, 1992), and grew up in Ostend on the Belgian coast for the majority of her childhood.
She started her professional career as a visual artist in 2021.

She describes her practise to be a love letter to the Black body, a visual language where bright light and deep shadows coexist harmoniously. Vibrant figurative paintings heavily inspired by personal childhood memories combined with everyday life experiences. Bahati’s figures take up space through a colourful softness and a warm demeanor.

What started as an intuitive form of self therapy, searching for a sense of home, now feels like holding up the mirror to others.
Through a whimsical lens of her own sense of belonging Bahati’s aim is to make Black people feel seen and leave them with a feeling they themselves didn’t know was missing within.




Bahati’s work has been featured on The New York Times, WePresent, ItsNiceThat, Metal Magazine and Inbtwn Magazine. As well as collaborations with INQUE magazine, Selfridges, Nataal, Jacob Banks and Jack Davison/LooseJoints.




Sthandwa Sam,  2024 (acrylic on paper,  29,7x42cm)



Left to right

1.  Gone, 2023 (Acrylic on canvas, 30,5x30,5cm)
2.  Othership, 2024 (Acrylic on canvas, 98x109cm)
3.  With the future on my lips, 2021 (Acrylic on canvas, 100x150cm)
4. ‘Til we even, 2021 (Acrylic on canvas, 60x50cm)
5. Fish don’t get cookies for swimming, 2021 (Acrylic on canvas, 100x150cm)





 


2021

Ndoimadzi, Group exhibition - Bahati Simoens, Imraan Christian, Lulama Wolf, Zandile Tshabalala, Frans Thoka & Katlego Tlabela -at Botho Project Space (Johannesburg, South Africa)

Charcoal Swans under the sun, Solo exhibition at La Causa Galeria (Madrid, Spain)

Go & Grow, Solo exhibition at Medium Tings (New York, United States)

Investec Cape Town Art Fair, Presented by Botho Project Space (South Africa)



2022


Jasmine like Summer, Independent and entirely autonomous solo exhibition (Antwerp, Belgium)

GANG GANG at Investec Cape Town Art Fair, Presented by Botho Project Space (Bahati Simoens, Cinthia Sifa Mulanga & Muofhe Manavhela)

Botho Art Collective, First Artist led art fair - Nelson Makamo, Trevor Stuurman, Bahati Simoens, Cristina Martinez, Brandon Deener, Maya Seas, Mbali Dhlamini, Corey Pemberton, Ambrose Murray & Lebohang Kganye (Los Angeles, United States)

Rise, Group exhibition - Bahati Simoens, Virgil Abloh, Jean Michel Basquiat, Paa Joe, Edozie Anedu, Salassie & Mr. StarCity- at NBB Gallery (Berlin, Germany)

If not now, then when? Group exhibition at BKhz (Johannesburg, SA)



2023


The Halfway line, Solo exhibition presented by Botho Project Space (Cape Town, SA)

Ulwandle, Solo exhibition at Jac Forbes (Malibu, United States)

Intimate at 1-54 London, Presented by BKhz (Bahati Simoens, Talia Ramkilawan, Mercy, Mashudu Nevhutalu & Tatenda Chidora)




2024


Sunset Market, Solo exhibition currently on view at BKhz (Johannesburg, SA)

CURA - circuito urbano de arte (art festival), mural invitation 417m2 building (Belo Horizonte, Brazil)



2025


N Gallery Collection, Groupshow at N Gallery
(Seongnam-si, South Korea)




    1. Rain or shine,  2025 (Acrylic on canvas, 50x60cm)
    2. Yes, but no, 2021 (Acrylic on canvas, 90x70cm)
    3. Daddy never came with flowers, 2024 (Acrylic on canvas, 50x60cm)
    4. Patience running low, 2020 (Acrylic on canvas, 80x50cm)
    5. Entangled, 2020 (Acrylic on canvas, 100x80cm)
    6. You miss be more than you loved me, 2019 (Acrylic on canvas, 28x24cm)
    7. Don’t go tellin’ your momma, 2021 (Acrylic on canvas, 40x50cm)






       

The moon is a powerful friend to have


Love I, II & III, 2025
(Acrylic on paper, 14,8x21cm)


CONTACT/    BAHATISIMOENS@GMAIL.COM

©NBB Gallery, Berlin (feauturing artwork by Virgil Abloh)


©NGallery, South Korea


©Botho Art Collective 2022, Los Angeles 





          
© BAHATISIMOENS2025