Born in Swaziland and based in South Africa, Nandipha Mntambo studied at the Michaelis School of Fine Art at the University of Cape Town. She gained significant attention for her practice of molding cowhide over casts of the human form, a process that bridges the gap between the animal and the human.

Her work frequently utilizes natural materials to interrogate themes of gender, identity, and the physical body. By manipulating the texture and form of hide, she creates sculptures that appear both organic and architectural, often blurring the lines between the biological and the sculptural.