Camille Farrah Buhler’s work exists at the intersection of visual art, fashion, and design, offering a fresh perspective on material and form. Her series I Have Got Hot Sauce transforms everyday objects into conceptual pieces that interrogate identity, function, and craftsmanship. Through her innovative use of leather, she reimagines texture and form, challenging dominant ideals…
Umlilo’s latest project marks a bold new chapter in an already shape-shifting career. After a decade of making music, exploring fashion, mentoring artists, and co-founding a festival, Umlilo found herself at a crossroads—creatively restless and questioning the structures that had defined her work. What followed was a period of withdrawal, a break from performing and…
For those attuned to the hum of Johannesburg’s cultural pulse, the Goethe-Institut is a beacon of radical thought and artistic inquiry. Currently hosting the poignant Abafa(ba)zi exhibition—running until February 28, 2025—this initiative is more than a display of works; it is a reclamation of space, stories, and identities. Centered on the narratives of African and…
Justice Mukheli is a South African filmmaker, photographer, and creative entrepreneur whose career includes directing Ballantine’s 2021 Stay True campaign and showing his work at the 2019 Also Known As Africa art fair in Paris. Born in Soweto, Mukheli’s Venda heritage informs his storytelling, which took off in 2010 with personal photo projects. A gifted…
There has been a lot of change in the Wits School of Arts (WSOA) of late, and a great example is Dr Rangoato Hlasane’s course Drawing and Contemporary Practice III. This course invites students to explore the power of collective art and publishing through a critical engagement with historical and contemporary zine culture. Across four terms,…
I had the opportunity to catch up with Petite Noir, a singer, songwriter and record producer whose work is a beautiful blend of influences, with an uncanny sound and heartbreaking lyrical depth. The enigmatic artist took the time to give us a glimpse of his artistic process and the influences that result in what we now…
The late afternoon sun illuminated the unusually serene courtyard of Rosebank’s Universal Studios as I walked across it to meet and interview Mandisi Dyantyis, a pivotal figure in contemporary South African music, known for his fusion of jazz, Western classical, and African indigenous music. The multi-award-winning artist has a reputation for operating with a quiet…
Opening days before Heritage Day, celebrating 30 years of South African democracy, We, The Purple at The Javett Art Centre at the University of Pretoria plays on Pretoria’s brand as the “Jacaranda City”, reflecting on events like #FeesMustFall and the 1989 “purple rain protest,” with themes of protest, identity, and land rights. In part thanks to…
It’s important for Black creatives to stay connected, given the surprising similarities in experiences across different parts of the world. I had a candid conversation, with the prolific and accomplished author and artist Kayo Mpoyi, born in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and now a native of Sweden, based in Stockholm. Kayo Mpoyi’s work…
From December 2, 2023, to February 2, 2024, STEVENSON Johannesburg hosts I Miss Myself the Most, a noteworthy group exhibition on memory by the promising curators Aza Mbovane and Mosa Molapo. The exhibition walkabout presented a unique opportunity to engage with the curators, artists and viewers present at the Parktown location. The intimate yet ample…
There was a time when Ayanda Mabulu had an open-door policy in his studio and oh what a time it was! One could often pass by the Media Mill space and find a number of artists engaged in vibrant studio practice or fervent discourse. Mabulu whose presence is both calming and commanding moved as if…
South Africa is a nation of significant symbolic capital. Through popular culture, South Africans participate in an exchange of sounds, fashion and dance – as an embodiment of identity, self-fashioning and freedom. At the nexus of social media and popular culture, we witness the unabated invigoration of the ‘Lüh Twizzy movement’ – a movement largely…
