‘Kernel’ is an expansion of the private studio into the gallery space, from small to big, kernel to whole, seed to plant. This is the place from which artist’s make; sketching the thing that is almost, until it is. Where they prepare the terrain and water the seeds for fertile ideas to grow. Sometimes the…
Meghan Judge is a Johannesburg-based artist who has curiosity for people, places and narratives from around the world— as well as her own. “Power is an important focus in my work”, and she is always trying to see how it works, to learn, expose and play with it. She recently joined the Oceanic Humanities for…
Tapestry artist and Kutti Collective member Talia Ramkilawan‘s recent artwork captures seemingly ordinary everyday moments—creating a textured archive. At first the images of womxn depicted in her work were sourced from her imagination, but as her practice developed she found inspiration in photographs from her childhood or her friends. Contemporary scenes demonstrate her desire to…
Lebogang Mogul Mabusela is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice explores paper, ink and sculpture through a variety of formats and methodologies. They are the vessels through which she expresses thoughts, tensions and care with a hint of humorous narrative play. The outrage of the Black woman and calling out patriarchy, cis-heteronormativity and racism are central…
Some time ago, I lived in a city that had already been destroyed a few times over. The reasons have always been similar—strong winds coupled with the wide-spread use of candles by the population mean fires spread easily. The result? A city destroyed and rebuilt again and again. And while the destruction has always been…
Jamal Nxedlana‘s creative endeavours have never shied away from the experimental; pushing the parameters around creative expression and the processes that drive them. He has created a unique footprint in the South African cultural landscape through his work as a designer, the Creative Director of Bubblegum Club, a member of CUSS Group and his involvement…
During a virtual walk through her new solo exhibition, BATTLECRY, Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum hinted at her volcanoes in conversation with curator Elvira Dyangani Ose. Speaking to her work Trooper, she described the volcano shimmering on the horizon as both “a physical earthly sensibility” that suggests the flow of the unseen and unpredictable, as well as…
I believe that art has two incredible capacities—that of stagnation and that of giving movement. I could argue more about it, give explanations through sculpture or compare Renaissance art to expressionist or abstract art. That would, in essence support the theory of my opening thoughts. It turns out that when talking about contemporary art, these…
“I was attracted to science fiction because it was so wide open. I was able to do anything and there were no walls to hem you in and there was no human condition that you were stopped from examining”. “There is nothing new under the sun, but there are new suns”. Octavia E. Butler Octavial…
Several terms in Brazilian Portuguese originate from the time of slavery—used continuously, each day they become more detached from the meaning of their origins—seeming to fall into oblivion and become other things. They are terminologies that change, but when looked at closely it becomes evident that they continue carrying aspects of their originating essence with…
It has felt like a long few months adjusting to a new way of life. Through this pandemic and lockdown, we have seen the commitment of creatives in the effort to showcase their work virtually; from exhibitions, to launches and even fashion shows. Although it should be noted, for me nothing compares to the experience…
The people of the Gold Coast had had their own Assembly under the British but not independence in 1957 they became the first Black Africans to get complete freedom, ‘For Dr Nkrumah—main architect of Ghana’s independence—this is a day of fulfilment, the longing to be free, the need to be free; these are part of…
