LegakwanaLeo Makgekgenene (b. 1995, Gaborone, Botswana) is an artist, designer, and educator whose practice explores storytelling, power, identity, and material culture in postcolonial Botswana. Their work is informed by a Master of Fine Arts in New Media from the Michaelis School of Fine Art, University of Cape Town, where their research interrogated the development of Botswana’s women’s movements and the impact of state and cultural power structures on women’s access to political and social agency.

Working across visual art, performance, costume, and design, Makgekgenene is interested in the world-building potential of oral culture and adornment. In 2024, they were awarded first place in the Shining Light Awards, recognizing innovative Afrocentric approaches to luxury jewellery design. They also hold a Master’s degree in Fashion Accessories and Jewelry Design from Politecnico di Milano, where their experimentation and research expanded into adornment, luxury, the body, and material culture.

Makgekgenene is a co-founder of TBP Artist Collective (The Botswana Pavilion), the collective has exhibited internationally across Africa, Europe, and the United States. LegakwanaLeo based in London with De Beers Jewellery while continuing an independent practice at the intersection of art, jewellery and cultural research.