Ukho Emmanuel Peyi is a South African visual artist born in East London, whose work powerfully engages with themes of social justice, community, and identity. Holding an Advanced Diploma in Fine Arts from Walter Sisulu University, Peyi’s journey began as a childhood hobby in Grade 2, later evolving into a committed practice shaped by both academic training and lived experience. Deeply affected by the structural issues facing contemporary South African society, Peyi identifies as an underground human rights activist, using his art to confront the realities of fatherlessness and absenteeism. Through evocative charcoal and soft pastel drawings on Fabriano paper, he depicts the emotional landscapes of single-parent households and abandoned children, employing symbolic imagery such as the downward-facing potjie pot to represent loss, struggle, and resilience.