The cultural entrepreneur is carving out creative spaces for young African talent in France through her artist agency, Undiscovered Canvas.
Nomaza Nongqunga-Coupez is a South African cultural entrepreneur based in Mandelieu-La Napoule, a town in the South of France, where she founded and currently operates the artist agency and residency Undiscovered Canvas. Since its inception in 2017, the platform has provided opportunities for young emerging African visual artists to promote their work in galleries across Europe and in South Africa. Through this exposure, young African creatives are afforded access to new skills, exposure and increased visibility in prestigious art markets, aiming to catapult them to international success.
A past member of France’s Presidential Council for Africa, Nongqunga-Coupez aims to cultivate cross-border links by bridging the gap between both regions through the arts, creativity and culture.
Nongqunga-Coupez’s tenacity and dedication to overcome her past adversities while growing up in apartheid South Africa fueled her motivation to uplift and empower artists who have also been marginalized and sidelined, thus giving power to those she calls the “underdogs.”
AYO sat down with Nongqunga-Coupez to discuss how Undiscovered Canvas unearths and discovers “hidden gems” in the creative world and why it is important to support and amplify emerging African visual artists across the world.