*TW: brief discussion of sexual assault and rape Femmes are often expected to perform femininity in a way that expresses softness, gentleness and sensitivity but then are quickly chastened when they sincerely embody that softness, gentleness and sensitivity. Often, their connection to emotion can be labelled as “too sensitive, too emotional, too hysterical, too, too,…
A good idea is one that is basic, unexpected and timely. A good idea features a marriage of opposite concepts and perspectives — it takes risks whilst still being simple in implementation and execution. A good idea sparks conversation but does not anger or frustrate those who already support it in good faith regardless of…
Turning to flora for inspiration, Nabeeha Mohamed’s latest body of work Brown Petal brings together oil paintings and watercolours that are rooted in experimentation. Beginning with old works that the artist felt “didn’t quite work”, the new body of work breathes new life into old splinters and shards. Unwieldy combinations of blues, pinks, and browns…
Abangani bami – Izithombe zami” (My friends – Images of me), 2021, is a self-portrait by Luyanda Zindela that celebrates the shared intimacies, fragilities and sacredness embedded in close friendship. Through a series of carefully detailed portraits, the artist compels us to consider the act of friendship as a process of collaborative witnessing. This is…
“A dynamic long weekend of gallery, arts & culture programming across Joburg”, reads text on the landing page of FNB Art Joburg’s website, describing the fair’s newly launched initiative called Open City. Taking place from October 28 – 31 2021, Open City will be a four-day art-centred weekend taking place across the Rosebank precinct with…
For as long as we have been able to articulate ideas to each other, we have wrestled with conceptions of humanity. Even to say “we’’ — suggests a shared knowledge and shared understanding that I cannot be fully behind. For Descartes (be)ing, and therefore humanity, was linked to the faculties of his mind — I…
Certain moments in art are enchanting. An artist reflects and puts into practise their skills for a work for years, months. They process and absorb. As a means of communication permeated by sensitivity, they produce. It is one of the characteristics of the art of exhibiting. The focus to expose the produced comes to the…
“Something that is at the core of our work is to create sustainability and self-sufficiency across our creative industries, and organisations like Girls in Film shine a light on the burgeoning talent pool in our region and facilitate the creation of robust networks and collaborators. The talent is here, and the global community is starting…
The head serves as a mirror of the whole history of art: its significance and the way it is represented have changed constantly over the ages. One wonders what in fact, after the combined ingenuity of centuries, is left in the subject for contemporary artists to explore, since the head was so radically reinvented during…
Little excites me more than a well-curated group show because they harness the ability to communicate a specific theme through the eyes of multiple artists. Bathini Abafazi? is one such example of a group show that manages to successfully bring together the work of multiple artists showcasing their pure talent, and the ability of well-curated artworks…
It is far too often that artists still find themselves on the margins, overlooked by the art world. As a remedy to this, the Joburg Fringe began as a way to highlight and showcase the amazing works coming out of Southern Africa by artists who have been previous overlooked or are up and coming. This…
“To be pierced is to be attached, serving a purpose that hurts but binds.” Reads the line accompanying Sahlah Davids’ body of work Pierced as it explores ideas of the artist’s cultural identity and the intersection between religion and politics. Pierced is a body of work distinct in many ways. To me, it stands as…
