Sand is not a material too far away from human expression, to feel it in the palm, the toes of even the teeth, you cover your foot in it at the beach and pull it out carefully because you want to trust that it can hold that space for you, so that you are made in its image, even for a few hours.
Mqeku was born in Mount Fletcher in the Eastern Cape of South Africa a small town on the edges of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, during primary school years, he moved to Umtata a larger town where he graduated from High school from Zingisa High school.
After obtaining a foundation certificate in art at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University School of music Art and design, he went on to study Architectural Technology, later leaving it behind to obtain a certificate in introductory Art and Design which resulted in him finally to a diploma in Ceramic Design. In the following year he was employed at the Oliewenhuis Art Museum in Bloemfontein Free State. In 2016 he resigned and went on to enrol at the Tshwane University of Technology obtaining a B-Tech in Fine Art, With a focus on the development of sandcast ceramics, Art theory and Critical Writing.
In 2024, Mqeku completed a Master’s degree in design and studio art (Sand cast Ceramics as Major Incorporating Fabrication technologies, CAD and public creative practice), at the Central University of Technology Bloemfontein, South Africa