Sylvester Mgqeku began his tertiary education at the Nelson Mandela University Port Elizabeth south Africa, studying for a foundation certificate in art moving on to study Architectural Technology the following year.

After two years of architectural design work Mgqeku discontinued and went back to the school of art and design. In 2009 he completed two years of introductory art and design studies, his qualification comprised of Painting, Graphic Design, Photography, Sculpture, Ceramic Design, Drawing and Art Theory.

In April 2013, after graduating with a diploma in Ceramic Design, he moved once again to a different province, the city of Bloemfontein and began volunteer work at the historical Oliewenhuis Art Museum. In the next few months Mgqeku would be granted a temporary contract of internship a partnership between Oliewenhuis Art Museum and The Visual Arts Network of South Africa (VANSA), by May of 2014 Mgqeku was permanently employed at Oliewenhuis Art Museum.

Early 2016, Mgqeku was enrolled at the Tshwane University of Technology Pretoria South Africa, completing a B-Tech in Fine Art with a major in Drawing and introducing the investigation of sand cast ceramics.

On a quest to develop research into the innovative studio practice of sand cast ceramics, Mgqeku was commissioned as part of the Goethe Project Space (GPS) by the Goethe Institut Johannesburg, between September and October 2018, Sylvester hosted the first ever public workshop on sandcast ceramics at the central University of technology, Bloemfontein,

Earlier in 2018, Mgqeku was selected to participate in the (Vallauris artist in residence), an exclusive ceramic artist residency in Vallauris south of France. Mgqeku is due to graduate his masters in design and studio art, which he spent researching the use of sand casting as a ceramic studio technique and how it adapts to public creative practice and multiple fabrication technologies.

Prior to the Global pandemic and eminent shut down of international and local public spaces, Mgqeku had spent two months in Dakar, Senegal. This was at the newly opened Blackrock Senegal Artist residence, Mgqeku spent early 2020 as one of 16 international artists selected for the inaugural class. Engaging with Senegalese culture and art, developing cross borders conversations, workshops, language and drawing. You can find him on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/sylver_art_constant/?hl=en

The Goethe-Institut in Johannesburg has yet again sent out calls for proposals for the 2021 edition of the Goethe-Institut Project Space (GPS), a multi-disciplinary roving project space support programme for South Africa. 

THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS IS 17 AUGUST 2020.

For details visit their website: https://www.goethe.de/ins/za/en/kul/sup/gps.html