Robin Rhode (born 1976 in Cape Town) is a South African artist based in Berlin, Germany. He studied Fine Art at Technikon Witwatersrand, now known as the University of Johannesburg, in Johannesburg, South Africa, followed by a postgraduate program at the South African School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance (AFDA). Reminiscent of practices of street art, Rhode usually works in public spaces, using walls, public basketball courts or just the street as his “canvas.” His preferred materials are easily accessible ones like charcoal and paint. As a result, his works stand out through their simplicity and their formal clarity, emphasizing the idea over lavishness of production. Rhode transforms simple shapes into elements of narratives, interacting with only imagined presences. This narrative practice goes back to an initiation ritual at South African high schools – that Rhode himself experienced – where new students are forced to draw and interact with their drawing.