Art Times Aug/Sept 2023 Edition

Page 16

AUG/SEPT 2023 ARTTIMES.CO.ZA
TOP 40 EXHIBITION RUST-EN-VREDE GALLERY 10 Wellington Rd, Durbanville 02.09.2023 - 02.11.2023 PORTRAIT 100 SPIER ARTS TRUST UNION HOUSE Union House, 25 Commercial Street, Cape Town 02.09.2023 - 13.10.2023
PORTRAI T AWARD 2023
RUST-EN-VREDE GALLERY

INTIMATE ART ENCOUNTERS

SOUTH AFRICAʼS LEADING VISUAL ARTS PUBLICATION

CONTENTS

08. M.O.L 40 A TERRIBLE BEAUTY Ashraf Jamal Column

16. QUIET AS IT’S KEPT An Imagery Book of Women by Women

22. ABSTRACT – THE HIDDEN SYNCHRONY Fragments of a Larger Whole

28. INGOMA YOTHANDO A Solo Exhibition by Mondli, Sasol New Signatures Winner 2022

32. SHE WEARS MANY HATS: REGAL. RESILIENT. RADIANT. Exhibitions for Women’s Day Across Three Venues

38. A WEEKEND OF ART AND CULTURE Riebeek Valley’s Solo Studios

44. DECAY

Physical and Spiritual Harmony With Mother Nature.

48. STAIRWAYS AND RUINS Dreaming, Transporting, Transcending and Creating

50. WHEN THE DUST SETTLES The History of a Bottle

54. AFTERMATH A Vibrant Exploration of Social Fabrics

60. BEING AND BECOMING A Celebration of 150 Years of UNISA

70. BUSINESS ART Fine Art Auction highlights

86. ARTGO Exhibition Highlights

Art Times Aug/Sept 2023 Edition
Cover: Tamary Kudita, Vessel., The Melrose Gallery
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Claudia Gurwitz, Reeds, Oil on Canvas, 480mm x 530mm, Rust En Vrede

Editors Note

Itgives me great pleasure to present our latest August edition, one that is a visual feast crammed full of diversity and contemporary thought. Despite load-shedding, the end of art by AI, Global warming, Brics, currency fluctuations, and Musk loosing and then regaining billions, the art world is flourishing for the right reasons of producing great thought, work, and evolution.

I believe there are more serious threats to art than AI and fluctuating currency markets, namely more resources are needed to teach a diversity of arts. Art should be incorporated in more schools and institutions, while more funds could be given to art museums to promote contemporary art especially digital art that attracts and associates with younger visitors. On a recent visit to The National Gallery, I was truly inspired by the quality and diversity of what was achieved with such a small budget, but I missed the investment present in Art Fairs with good lighting and more contemporary digital and pioneering work that is done by our young contemporary artists. Much of this investment in the young is evident in many corporations still funding the arts through competitions run by Absa and Sasol, as well as workshops such as Artist Proof Studios.

In this edition we would like to pay homage to Woman’s Month with a selection of Galleries and Museum shows dedicated to this special month. First up would be Oliewenhuis Art Museum, Freshford House Museum, and the National Museum in Bloemfontein with a theme: “She Wears Many Hats”. “Quiet as it’s Kept,” curated by Ruzy Rusike at The Melrose Gallery, the exhibition has been curated as an imagery book of women by women, reminiscent of Toni Morrison’s favorite African-American phrase, “Quiet as it’s kept,” the exhibition serves as a conduit for revelation.

Ashraf Jamal’s MOL covers Jennifer Morrison’s first solo show at the Barnard Gallery, and the impressive “The Kilbourn Collection” showcased at The Norval Foundation.

In a Celebratory Spirit, we have “Being and Becoming: A Celebration of 150 years of UNISA Art Gallery” At my personal favourite, Artist Proof Studio is “Aftermath: A Vibrant Exploration of Social Fabrics”- Aftermath is a visually enriching exploration of the social fabrics that bind us together, our lived realities, and the profound energy of life.

Other exhibitions to mention are “Abstract- The Hidden Synchrony” at the Rupert Museum, “Decay” a thought-provoking exhibition by two painters Matthew Blackburn and Claudia Gurwitz at Rust en Vrede Gallery, “Stairways and Ruins” at The NWU Gallery is very interesting and inspiring. “When the dust settles” - A solo exhibition by Joe Turpin at The NWU Botanical Gardens Gallery is an interesting exhibition about the Jewish Community and its survival, hopes, and growth of its community in a South African town.

Solo Studios at Riebeek Valley is a very welcome and inspiring Arts Festival guaranteed to refresh and revitalise you for Summer and shake off any residue of any Winter blues. In addition to this year’s Solo Studios, there is a new programme of music that would really inspire you. In addition to the Valleys art, you would enjoy its warm and quality hospitality in the form of accommodation, food, and wine.

On a final note, I would urge all our readers and lovers of South African art to promote the SANAVA Art auction in aid of its studios at Cite des Arts in Paris. The residency and opportunity that these studios provide are invaluable and have played a major role in developing and promoting South African talent internationally.

Lastly please pop into our website and social media for daily updates and inspiration at artttimes.co.za

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CAPE TOWN FLAGSHIP LIVE VIRTUAL AUCTION

Modern and Contemporary Art, Mid-century Modern Furniture, Jewellery and Wine

Sunday 17 to Tuesday 19 September 2023

Irma Stern | Praying Arab, 1945 | in artist’s original Zanzibar frame | R 16 000 000 - 18 000 000

A TERRIBLE BEAUTY

Jennifer Morrison’s first solo show at the Barnard Gallery in Cape Town – The Depth of Things – is inspired by Rainer Maria Rilke, the poet who championed depth above surface, profound emotion above irony. If it is a curious title for an exhibition devoted to abstract painting, this is because we have been wired to consider abstraction as a style of art devoted to surface texture. The culprit who is key to this view of abstraction is Clement Greenberg, the impresario behind the US government funded, New York centred art movement, Abstract Expressionism. A counterattack, during the Cold War, against Soviet Social Realism, abstraction was seen as the ideal, par excellence, of democratic freedom – the radical right to one’s subjective instincts, freedom from oppressive political consensus.

Emerging in the 1940s and 50s, exemplified by figures such as Jackson Pollock – ‘Jack the Dripper’ – and Mark Rothko, Abstract Expressionism emphasized the visceral quality of paint, the gestural power of personal expression freed from the need to copy what we think to be objective or real, out there in the world. Instead, the impulse was psychological, personal, in-ward looking, intuitive, obscure. Because there could be no final objective arbitration regarding abstraction, it proved troubling to the general public, until such point, through cultural evolution, it became normative. So much so, that today we no longer find ourselves confounded or outraged by the random fretwork of painted marks. Or, when binge-watching a series on our phones, we fail to see the ubiquitous presence of abstract painting on the walls of the sets, its designed ‘wallpaper’ affect. Abstraction is everywhere, and everywhere not recognized. Unless, of course, we stop to assert the fact that it is ‘reality’, or what we consider such, that is the great hoax.

Today, worldwide in the art world, we are witnessing a striking return to abstract art. No longer merely ubiquitous wallpaper – a

dimension of our lifestyle-driven designed world, in which art, according to some bespoke colour palette is sold by the meter – abstraction has re-emerged as the vital antidote to a divisive, oppressive, or hysterically antagonistic world, a world in which civil liberty is denied, freedom of speech muzzled, and we are all forced to subject ourselves to neo-fascist rule. Demagoguery is everywhere, Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World a toxic reality. Unsurprisingly, against that world, we find ourselves returning to the liberty which abstraction affords us. Emerging at the start of the twentieth century, it signaled a break from Impressionism, a deconstructive naturalistic style of painting, in favour of one that resisted the power of sight. Inward, spiritual, created by Klee, Kandinsky, Malevich, Mondrian, abstraction was ruled by a secular yet spiritual impulse, namely, Theosophy. As such, its beginnings were far removed from Greenberg’s austerely cerebral take in the 1940s. It is this more spiritual understanding of abstraction which I advocate. It is the return of abstraction in this more spiritual guise that is vital. Why? Because it is an antidote to cynicism and irony, worse, to a growing neo-fascistic energy that seeks nothing other than to destroy democracy as a system of governance and as a principle. In South Africa this destruction is troublingly evident in a government that adheres to Communism and its Big Brother complex that seeks nothing other than to curtail our hard-won freedom, our right to free enterprise, and the greater healthier synergy of business and welfare.

Thus, it is against all oppressive systems that we must reconsider the criticality of abstraction. As Paul Klee reminded us in 1919, it is in a time of fear that we find ourselves returning to abstraction. We are now living in yet another era of fear, one driven by psyops, psychographics, misinformation, facial recognition, data capture – every vice designed to commodify our lives, subject us to yet another variant of a slave economy. Capitalism has its pitfalls too.

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Jennifer Morrison, Always, 45 x 45cm, 2023

My point is that we require a heightened vigilance, a greater ability to separate good from bad within a radically ethical personal and collective project. It is in this context too that we must reconsider the value of abstraction. It is neither code nor symbol. Instead, it is an idea-aesthetic-impulse to freedom.

In Jennifer Morrison’s case, we are asked to reconsider the Depth of Things. In her introduction to the Barnard opening, Morrison spoke of her works as a means ‘to bring two kinds of languages together and to see if they clashed or complimented each other, or if they made a sort of new language through their combination, or just left one big question’. These two languages cross the spectrum of painting, from the emotionally gestural to the mathematically ordered. We see this tension at play in Morrison’s disjunctive and abrasive combination of styles – the one echoing the febrile energy of painters in love with the fallible human hand, and those, more systemic, in love with the measured orchestration of colour and pattern. Bridget Riley, the British Op Artist, is the chief architect of the latter, while, for me, William Turner is the early advocate of the former. Morrison straddles both worlds. What she seeks is to understand whether these differing approaches can coexist, or whether they are anathema to each other – whether divisions persist, or whether reconciliation is possible.

If Morrison’s question is a vital one, it is precisely because we live in a highly volatile and incendiary historical moment, one in which intolerance has become increasingly normative. Can we expect continued clashes? Is it possible to arrive at some détente? What role can art play in illuminating and potentially changing our world? This is the key to Morrison’s project, this the key to the best incursions in abstraction worldwide. If Morrison’s exhibition possessed a singular daring, the work of a deftly succinct yet volatile soloist, then the group exhibition of abstract art I saw a day later at The Norval Foundation shone a vivid light on the greater spectrum of African abstraction. Titled ‘Collector’s Focus: The Kilbourn Collection’, the overall array of works presented were strikingly muted and subtle in tone – a strong contrast to Morrison’s toxically lurid palette, which, through paint, celebrated the garish currency of ‘dopamine dressing’. In the Kilbourn collection, organicity seemed to triumph over the synthetic, temperance over excess – though not quite.

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Jo Hummel, Morse Code, 2022. Acrylic on paper Installation view: Unathi Mkonto, Sentence construction, a fragment, 2022, and Patrick Bongoy, Fragment #26, 2019). Wallen Mapondera, Deedizerwa, 2017, Cardboard and laminated hessian (Deatil) Jennifer Morrison, Adventure, 90 x 90cm, 2023

Alexandra Karakashian’s oil slick, a calibrated tonal spread from light to dark on raw canvas was, despite the use of toxic material, remarkably consoling. Wallen Mapondera and Patrick Bongoy’s respective manipulation of paper and rubber were similarly therapeutic. What counted was the way in which each artist, in their singular way, addressed the gravity, and bleak poetry, of this Anthropocene moment – a moment exhausted, afflicted by deforestation and extractive mining, the exploitation of the earth, and, as such, deeply discouraging. And yet, at the same time, an occasion that also, morbidly yet exquisitely, presents to us ‘a terrible beauty’.

There are also strikingly vivid and colourful works in the Kilbourn mix, notably Jo Hummel’s shewed geometries, their clean lies deliberately stained, or, Hugh Byrne’s sewn blocks of primary reds, yellow, green, against that great complementary arbitration – white. Or, then again, Turiya Magadlela’s pink stretches of pantihose intercut with soft

browns and yellow. Or, for me most astonishing of all, Unathi Mkonto’s blood red and pine assemblage, gutted, inverted, as though one were privy to the innards of the world. Suggestive of reliquaries, yet devoid of its sacred content, Mkonto’s disemboweled relief sculptural forms are a testimony to endless innovation – the African genius for upcycling, renovating waste material, opening ever-new vistas in a damned time. This, to conclude, is the spirit that informs all the artworks discussed – Jennifer Morrison’s deep dive into the grotesque paradox that eternally seems to afflict us – the Apollonian and Dionysian, now further vexed by the fact that humankind can no longer control its nihilistic excesses – and then, the Kilbourn collection, astute, austere, provocative, yet seductively elegant. In both collections, we find a stellar instance of the power of abstraction today.

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Alexandra Karakashian, Passing Through I, 2019, used motor oil on canvas

CURRENT EXHIBITIONS

CASTED

Scultura italiana

a selection of Italian Modern sculptors until 3 September 2023

THE JOHANNESBURG STATION PANELS

Pierneef’s Journey

latest rotation of all 32 panels inclusive of selected linocuts and artist memorabilia

STOREROOM SERIES

Back by popular demand

sole focus on 18 selected Irma Stern artworks inclusive of oil, charcoal and bronze until 1 October 2023

AbstRacT

the hidden synchrony featuring the ‘Synchromies’ series by Oscar Forel, abstract SA artworks and installation by Strijdom van der Merwe until 25 February 2024

Entrance Complimentary Stellentia Road, Stellenbosch

Tue – Fri: 10:00 – 17:00

Sat – Sun: 10:00 – 16:00

info@rupertmuseum.org

021 888 3344

www.rupertmuseum.org

Featured in STOREROOM SERIES

Irma Stern (1894– 1966)

Pomegranate seller, 1948

Oil on canvas Rupert Art Foundation Collection

QUIET AS IT’S KEPT

Group Exhibition, Curated by Ruzy Rusike

Melrose Gallery

themelrosegallery.com

The Melrose Gallery is pleased to announce its upcoming exhibition, “Quiet as it’s kept,” curated by Ruzy Rusike. The exhibition will feature works by Tamary Kudita, Philiswa Lila, Tayhe Munsamy, Sahlah Davids, Lebohang Motaung , Kganya Mogashoa, Phumzile Buthelezi, Bulumko Mbete, Zenande Mketeni, Olwethu De Vos, Candy Kramer and Ilana Seati. The exhibition will run from the 30th of July until the 27th of August, alongside a month-long performance programme, that will challenge the way in which the exhibition is read and the way in which the body of works hold space within the gallery.

The exhibition has been curated as an imagery book of women by women, reminiscent of Toni Morrison’s favorite African-American phrase, “Quiet as it’s kept,” the exhibition serves as a conduit for revelation. The phrase embodies an incarnation that paradoxically exists in both the revealed and the concealed. It encapsulates resilience, pain, and generational trauma, acting as a cover or an alleviation for the traumas experienced by oneself or others in the family. It manifests an intimate expression of violence,

both physical and emotional, through the act of resilience. Women are often burdened with the expectation of resilience in order to maintain a semblance of “peace” in various societal, cultural, or subcultural contexts.

This exhibition, therefore, stands as a bold proclamation, inviting all that remains “Quiet as it’s kept” to be brought into visibility. It beckons a world where an alternative reality emerges, calling upon a form of spectatorship that transcends singular narratives and permeates every facet of existence. The notion of “everywhere” that I allude to here reflects the hidden, the concealed, and the simultaneous revelation. It operates within a specific discourse of secrecy, as the artists portray internalized scenes that have long awaited recognition. The exhibition explores and speaks to the myriad ways in which relationships—between the living and the deceased, between groups within society, and between humans and the supernatural— are structured. Like fertile soil, art serves as a resource to challenge symbolic rituals and express a society’s attitudes towards sex and gender relations.

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Above: Andile Bhala. Opposite Page: Tamary Kudita, Vessel.
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Tayhe Munsamy, For Those Born of The Blood, This History is Held for You, 2023, acrylic on canvas, 155cm x 300cm

By shedding light on what has been kept in the shadows, this exhibition invites us to confront and redefine the narratives that govern our understanding of ourselves and others. It encourages a collective awakening, a transformation fueled by the power of art to reshape our perceptions and reimagine our world. Therefore this exhibition acts as a catalyst for introspection and social change, providing a space for dialogue and reflection. It reminds us that art in its various forms has the potential to be a force for liberation, healing, and empowerment.

As visitors engage with the works on display, they are invited to reconsider their own experiences and perceptions. The exhibition serves as a reminder that our stories are intertwined, that our struggles and triumphs are not isolated but shared. It challenges us to confront the silences and secrets that have plagued our society, recognizing that by giving voice to what has been kept hidden, we can begin to heal and create a more inclusive and compassionate world.

Therefore “Quiet as it’s kept” is not simply an exhibition of art; it is a bridge towards an

inclusive and alternate exploration into understanding the human condition. Catapulting us into the unknown forms of expression thus tapping into reality.

We invite you to collaborate, reckon, view and digest this exhibition which will run from the 30th of July until the 27th of August, below are the details regarding the performance program

Thursday 3 August 6:30pm

Tayhe Munsamy

Philiswa Lila & Ivukuvuku

Thursday 17 August 6pm

Bridget Modema

Please RSVP to tyron@themelrosegallery.com as space is limited

For those unable to attend in person the exhibition can be viewed online at themelrosegallery.com from the 30th of July.

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Kganya Mogashoa, Bertha Gxowa Kganya Mogashoa, Frances Baard

ABSTRACT - THE HIDDEN SYNCHRONY

Rupert Museum

On show till February 2024

rupertmuseum.org

Detail installation view

This exhibition takes a closer look at the synchrony in the complete Synchromies series by Swiss psychiatrist, psychotherapist and later turned photographer Oscar Forel (1891-1982) that was published in 1961. The study of trees, their growth, their bark and identifying signs of events the tree had witnessed were the crucial aspects in this encapsulating series –that are truly fragments of a larger whole.

The series of 53 macro photographs differing in size and scale, projecting their harmonious and natural colours; they might visually draw comparison to famed and iconic artworks found the world over or evoke personal memories or nostalgia. These images are taken of different tree species found the world over. Their wonderful textures portrayed by Forel’s photographs were captured by using an ordinary reflex camera on Kodachrome film, with a wide lens at 10-15cm.

Nature, from the soil to the sky, has been the inspiration for many artists over time and still today. This is evident with the selection of South African artists, from the Rupert Foundation Collection, who is showcased amidst these close-up photographs. These artists explored the wonders of textured conscious abstract innovations from the late 1950s into the 1960s. The South African art world was slow in accepting Abstract art - a movement characterised by its freedom from the representational and known for celebrating line, form and colour in its pure form.

The selection of Abstract works in this exhibition have been paired up with Synchromies, to find harmony or reciprocal synergy These pairings enhance the ‘synchromy’ which Forel termed, derived from “symphony” with ‘phonos’ (sound) being replaced by ‘chromos’ (colour). The bark of spruce, fir, pine, and beech, at different times of the year, invaded by fungus, seared by fire, coerced by their location into tortured, twisted shapes are similarly the types of marks, dynamic colour combinations and encrusted surfaces masterfully explored by artists such as Bettie Cilliers-Barnard (19142020), Christo Coetzee (1929-2000), Dirk Meerkotter (1922-2017), Georgina Ormiston (1903-1967), and Gunter van der Reis (b1927) to mention a few.

Selection of Oscar Forel’s ‘Synchromies’
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Bettie Cilliers-Barnard (left) featured with Oscar Forel Christo Coetzee (left) featured with Oscar Forel Dirk Meerkotter (right) featured with Oscar Forel

As for Forel he treated each surface as a rare discovery, he would wipe and clean the chosen bark with brush and sponge, sometimes this would polish and bronze the surface, highlighting and revealing an array of colours and textures. He noted that Synchromies could have been subtitled natura pinxit – painted by Nature. As the painter chose to free themselves from tradition by creating abstract marks on canvas so Forel found abstract line, form and colour already existing in nature.

Today, a better understanding of plant life, its behaviour, growth, and decay has become vital to the rehabilitation of our ecosystem. This study posits a close look at a very topical issue while inviting each viewer to explore the enchanted forms and colours that reveal the ‘art’ hidden in nature.

On invitation acclaimed Land Artist Strijdom van der Merwe is included by his intervention to create a dialogue with ‘the hidden synchrony’. This conceptualized installation and the latest work by the artist, A Study on Curvature, made from 3mm bended plywood will only be on show

till 1 October 2023. The sculptural fragments are mainly in conversation with and were inspired by the photography of Oscar Forel.

The approach for van der Merwe was to recreate the feeling which Forel summons with his images– magnifying the minute details of the seemingly overlooked abstract art found within nature. A Study in Curvature is an attempt to elicit this sense of smallness by means of visual aid. In this instance the humble wood shaving is used as a vessel to emphasize this feeling of smallness. Every curvature or shaving is a fragment of the whole. Each curved form is a celebration of the freedom in movement that the line presents. These shapes all sculptural in their appearance but adapt and change identity from nature to form the purest abstraction.

This exhibition is accompanied by an art activity box suited for 5-10year olds. It is exclusively available from the museum or its online shop, visit now https://rupertmuseum.org/productcategory/gifts/

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(Detail) A Study in Curvature by Strijdom van der Merwe

TONAL TAPESTRIES

From Subtle Whispers to Bold Strokes

SERA HOLLAND, JEREMY ROSE, JANET LIGHTBODY, KYLE

JARDINE, TARIEN BRUWER, CORNE EKSTEEN , JOSEPH

BENISTANT, THOMAS CATLIN

19.08.2023 | 11.09.2023
T a r i e n B r u w e r , T e n a c i t y , W o v e n T h r e a d o n C a n v a s , 4 6 x 5 3 , 7 c m

INGOMA YOTHANDO

A solo exhibition by Mondli Mbhele, Sasol New Signatures winner 2022 sasolsignatures.co.za

Mondli

Mbhele was born in 1994 in Cato Manor, Durban. He completed a one-year visual art programme at the Bat Centre and attended the Velobala Weekend Classes hosted by the Durban University of Technology, as well as being a member of Amasosha Art movement, a collective of young Durban artists which promotes professionalism and solidarity amongst fellow artists. In 2022 Mbhele won the Sasol New Signatures Art Competition with his work entitled Iphasi nesiphesheli. His first solo exhibition is due to open in September as part of the 2023 Sasol New Signatures Art Competition.

Mbhele’s work questions transformation in the life of people in South Africa, specifically the youth. His body of work for his first solo is entitled Ingoma Yothando, or Song of Love translated from isiZulu. It is inspired by traditional dances and its accompanying music. Most of these dances are performed during different ceremonies such as the introduction of a new family member, initiations for young men and women, weddings, funerals, even harvest seasons, as a way to pay tribute to those who went before. These dances can be used as a vehicle to recall the past in order to have balance in one’s physical and spiritual life, both in the present and in the future.

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Mondli Mbhele, Umazisi, Fabric collage on canvas, 159 cm x 123,1cm

These dances were passed down from generation to generation. Mbhele’s concern is with the preservation of these traditions in an era where technology and social media threatens to overpower the fabric of society and the rituals which have provided guidance.

Mbhele’s medium of choice is fabric collage, as for him it shares similarities with our daily lives. “Fabric covers our bodies, while boosting our confidence and providing a canvas for each day” says Mbhele. Mbhele collects offcuts of fabric from various fusion artists in Durban and Johannesburg for use in his collages. He realised that these offcuts have different qualities and value or worth,

but when discarded they become a metaphor for a state of vulnerability. By collecting and using these offcuts, he creates a new dialogue between that which is discarded and its worth.

Mbhele’s solo exhibition will take place alongside the New Signatures 2023 exhibition at the Pretoria Art Museum from 7th September – 29 October 2023. A total of 118 works have been selected from around the South Africa to proceed to the final round of judging and will be featured in the competition’s catalogue for 2023.

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“Mbhele’s work questions transformation in the life of people in South Africa, specifically the youth.”

SHE WEARS MANY HATS: REGAL. RESILIENT. RADIANT.

Exhibitions for Women’s Day across three venues

From

07 Aug - 03 Sept 2023

• Freshford House Museum: She wears many hats: REGAL

• National Museum, Bloemfontein: She wears many hats: RESILIENT

• Oliewenhuis Art Museum: She wears many hats: RADIANT oliewen@nasmus.co.za

In celebration of Women’s month, different Departments of the National Museum, Bloemfontein, collaborated to curate exhibitions that are on show across three museum venues; Freshford House Museum, the National Museum and Oliewenhuis Art Museum. These exhibitions, although having distinctive slants, share similar themes and content, and aim to create fresh and original visual showcases by combining a variety of historical hats with contemporary and classical artworks. This exciting amalgamation of artworks and beautifully made artefacts, curated by three female curators, was mindfully selected from the art collections of the Oliewenhuis Art Museum, Art Bank of South Africa and textiles from the Collections Management and Library Department.

The She wears many hats exhibitions, doesn’t just literally refer to holding or functioning in more than one position or role, but also reflects on intangible human qualities of being (rather than doing or acting), such as being regal, being resilient and being radiant. The artworks and artefacts, representing the female in various ways, shows both the physical and exterior as well as the abstract and inner qualities associated with the female and the feminine.

At Freshford hats from different eras (18801970) along with a small selection of artwork are on show. The artwork and hats were handpicked to celebrate the multifaceted woman but also the beauty and uniqueness of womanhood.

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“They say you could tell what was on her mind by what was on her head” (unknown source).
Irma Stern, Le Jour du Sacr-Coeur, 1950, Oil on board, 63 x 53 cm Stephanie Watson, Metamorphosis, 1975, Coloured silkscreen, 64 x 45 cm. Oliewenhuis Art Museum Permanent Collection.

Phumulani Ntuli, Homage to Ghassan Kanafani, A hand in the grave, Scene two, Subject unknown II, 2019, Mixed media collage –acrylic paint, photographic transfer on unstretched canvas, 100 X 750

Anastasia Pather, 2019, Jasmine the Blister Beetle, Acrylic ink, enamel, glue, metallic powders and gold leaf on canvas, 122 x 91.4cm (framed). ArtbankSA Contemporary Art Collection.
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Nomusa Mtshali, Inkosi, 2019, Mixed media: acrylic, oil, pastel, charcoal on paper, 70 x 100 cm. ArtbankSA Contemporary Art Collection. Carol Kühn, Head rest maquette (detail), 2004, 29,5 cm (h) x 15,5 cm (w) x 11.5 cm (d). Bronze and brass. Oliewenhuis Art Museum Permanent Collection. Amita Makan, Snow Protea I, 2017, Hand-embroidered with metallic, nylon and polyester threads, synthetic ribbons, beads, Swarovski crystals, vintage saris and sequins on tulle, 143 x 65 x 6 cm (encased in Perspex) Elongated platter or saucer hat. Late 1940’s. National Museum Textile Collection.

The exhibition intends to salute women who effortlessly switch between the various roles they fulfil in society. A woman with many hats symbolises modern women’s refusal to be caged by societal expectations and norms. We would like to once more inspire women to break boundaries, pursue their dreams and embrace the beauty of being a woman.

“If you like the hat, wear it…” (unknown source).

The exhibition at Oliewenhuis aims to be a pleasurable and inspiring sensory experience, evoking feelings of lightheartedness, playfulness, sweetness, with a touch of melancholy. Artworks were chosen intuitively by how closely it resonates with, and expresses both physically and ambiently the concept of radiance- females and things and nature being radiant. It is interesting how the concept unfolds - ideologies of feminine radiance are suddenly an encompassing, universal presence, even Mother Nature gifts us with radiance, beauty and energy.

Artworks and artefacts, visually describing and radiating a feminine presence of softness, resilience, strength, beauty, flow and feeling were included to celebrate the lighter side of the feminine. Hopefully this exhibition inspires all participants to internally integrate and outwardly express this beautiful energy of intuition, creativity and compassion, to ease the hardships and alleviate the heavy burdens that is part of life.

Freshford House Museum is located at 31 Kellner Street, Westdene, Bloemfontein and is open to the public from Monday to Friday between 9:00 and 16:30, Saturdays between 10:00 and 15:00, and closed on Sundays and public holidays. The National Museum, Bloemfontein is located at 36 Aliwal Street, Bloemfontein and is open to the public from Monday to Friday between 9:00 and 16:30, Saturdays between 10:00 and 15:00, and closed on Sundays and public holidays. Oliewenhuis Art Museum is located at 16 Harry Smith Street, Bloemfontein and is open to the public from Monday to Friday between 08:00 and 17:00, and on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays between 09:00 and 16:00.

For more information on Oliewenhuis Art Museum please contact the Museum at 051 011 0525 (ext 200) or oliewen@nasmus.co.za and for more information on Freshford House Museum and the National Museum, Bloemfontein please visit www.nasmus.co.za.

Stay up to date by following Oliewenhuis Art Museum on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for all upcoming exhibitions and events.

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Audrey Anderson, City square Meal (JHB), 2020, Ink on canvas, 100 x 100 cm. ArtbankSA Contemporary Art Collection

STAIRWAYS AND RUINS

When the dust settles

17 July - 31 August 2023

Opening: 17 July 2023 @ 1pm

17 July - 31 August 2023

Opening: 22 July 2023 @ 1pm

JOE TURPIN BY
NWU Botanical Gardens
Curated by Andrew Lamprecht Curator: Iziko Museums of South Africa
NWU Gallery
A group exhibition by the Research Niche ViNCO

A WEEKEND OF ART AND CULTURE AT RIEBEEK VALLEY’S SOLO STUDIOS

solostudios.co.za

The eagerly anticipated ‘Solo Studios – Intimate Art Encounters’ returns to the Riebeek Valley in August with what promises to be another highlight on the cultural calendar.

CALLING THE EVENT ‘Intimate Art Encounters’ means exactly what it says. Seventeen artists’ studios will be open to the public over the weekend of 18–20 August, with eight of these artists having invited external collaborators to co-exhibit in their personal spaces.

A further seven group exhibitions will be held at various galleries and venues, including two private art collections in exclusive guest houses. Spending time in the intimate spaces of the artists’ studios will offer pass-holders an insight into their processes and inspiration.

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The House of the Second Shadow - TONG - Die Gekleurde Vrou Winelands Philharmonic Orchestra

“We don’t merely sell art at Solo Studios. We sell an experience,” says Klaus Piprek, co-founder and director of Solo Studios. These experiences go much further than the visual arts. Apart from the art exhibitions, there is so much more to enjoy in what has become known as Arts Town Riebeek Valley, encompassing the twin towns of Riebeek Kasteel and Riebeek West. Prepare to be lured away from your planned art route by the aromas wafting from a coffee shop, by the scent of essential oils from the locally produced botanical range or by a tantalising wine tasting at some of the most acclaimed Swartland wine producers.

“As always, the Riebeek Valley will put on its best dress in anticipation of the influx of art aficionados to this prestigious event and visitors can expect a host of venues offering food experiences and wine tastings,” says Shawn Hewitt, project manager for this year’s event. “Entertainers will flow onto the streets and pavements and creative community development projects will be showcased in plentiful fringe activities. Add to that

the richness of local flavour from the olive producers, the abundance of restaurants, the village bakery and the profusion of craft and artisanal outlets.”

“The best way to fully appreciate what we have to offer is to make a whole weekend of it,” Klaus advises. “There’s simply not enough time in one day to fully absorb all that Solo Studios and the valley have to offer.”

The record-breaking ‘Solo Studios – Intimate Art Encounters’ event of 2022, with 183 art pieces sold, valued at R2.5 million, resulted in stiff competition to participate in this prestigious event. For the 2023 edition, 17 local artists were selected from the large number of worthy applications.

A highlight of this year’s event is a charity fundraising concert by the Winelands Philharmonic Orchestra and featuring the Riebeek Kasteel Steelband . Expect original compositions to form part of this collaboration!

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Plot’s Possession, Cristina Kirstein

World Film Premiere

MONOMANIA – 7 Chambers of Obsession

MONOMANIA is defined as possessing an exaggerated or obsessive enthusiasm for or preoccupation with a one topic. 7 Riebeek Valley based (past and present) artists were invited to produce a short film on their MONOMANIA, and the result is a diverse compilation covering topics from womanhood, sexuality and erotica; to poverty, mental illness and depression; to motion, artificial intelligence and literature. The 7 short films are woven into a collaborative production of 1 hour, making its world premiere at Solo Studios 2023.

In Plot’s Possession, Cristina Kirstein unveils the lighter depths of obsession; where we possess stories, and stories possess us.

Art fundi Tamzin Lovell-Miller tells a story of art and technology from the past into the future, through a combination of poetry and AI-generated art video, in Pixels and Poetry - A Journey into Art Technology.

Riaan van Zyl captures motion in his paintings, often depicting freeze frame-like imagery in his subject. In Eulogy to Motion, Riaan provides insight into his obsession with traditional film making and the influence it has on his art.

In My Beautiful Brein, the narrative of poet Donker Jonker provides a stark, disturbing view of disturbance of the mind.

TONG: Die Gekleurde Vrou is a collaborative production by The House of the Second Shadow, and explores “Womanhood, Sexuality and Poverty of Coloured Woman in B&W kaleidoscope and deconstructed video”.

For her 53rd birthday, Lean Bakker invited her friends to do this work with her. The gentle caresses of 26 hands activate the flow of Kundalini, life-force energy in her body. Sensation is about the movement of life-force.

Shugga produces Impassion: the ancient war within, exploring a theme of approaching darkness with holy reverence and the transformative nature of self-exploration.

Donker Jonker, My Beautiful Brein

Thought Leadership Talks

A recurring highlight of Solo Studios has been the inspiring talks by leaders in their respective fields. The 2023 edition promises to add to that legacy.

Tamzin Lovell-Miller is the founder and CEO of Artfundi, a software platform that empowers art businesses through technology. Tamzin presents two talks, namely Art and Technology: Transforming Cultural Life and the Future of Artists, and The Living Legacy of Uche Okeke: Bridging Past and Present in Artistic Expression.

Dr. Nicky Terblanche is an academic, researcher and entrepreneur. He has a master’s degree and PhD in Leadership Coaching and a master’s degree in electronic and software engineering. He is a Senior Lecturer in Coaching and Research at Stellenbosch Business School, South Africa where his research interests include leadership coaching with a focus on Artificial Intelligence Coaching. He also runs an executive and leadership coaching practice.

Nicky has published more than 30 research articles and book chapters and regularly presents at international conferences as keynote speaker. He is also the founder and CEO of the company CoachVici.com that creates AI Coaches for organisations and research lead at Ovida.org

Dr Terblanche will be presenting an interesting talk on Artificial intelligence (AI) – what’s all the fuss about?

AI is the talk of the day. Since its inception in the 1950s AI has gone through a number of peaks and “winters”, but the current resurgence of this disruptive technology seems different and could have major implications for humanity. Dr Nicky Terblanche is an academic, researcher, leadership coach and AI entrepreneur who has been studying AI for a number of years, culminating in coachvici.com, an AI-assisted coach. Join Nicky for a discussion on the history, recent developments, ethical issues and relevance of AI to the art world.

These talks promise to inspire and inform art lovers and professionals alike.

Tamzin Lovell Miller
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Dr Nicky Terblanche

Wine tasting and film

The inspiring rise of Wine Sommelier Joseph Dhafana is well known, and his participation as captain of the Zimbabwean wine tasting team at the world blind tasting championships has recently been captured in the film Blind Ambition.

Joseph started his unlikely journey in Riebeek Kasteel, where, as an economic refugee from Zimbabwe, he got his first job as a gardener before being promoted to barman. Today, Joseph produces his own range of wines, and his meteoric rise to one of the most recognisable young figures in the wine industry is nothing short of remarkable.

Joseph returns to his roots in Riebeek Kasteel for Solo Studios 2023, where he will host two screenings of Blind Ambition, whereafter he will engage with the audience and give them some insight into blind wine tasting of some of his wines.

The Nights of the Long Tables

Another activity which has become a favourite at Solo Studios is an opportunity to be invited to long tables presented by some of the valley’s finest hosts and chefs. The 2023 edition includes offerings by Aardvark Eats, Kokos Huis, The Valley Deli, Olive and Vine and The Royal Hotel

Due to previous popular demand, some Long Tables will be hosted on both Friday 18th and Saturday 19th August.

Solo Symphony Concert

This year, Solo Studios will reach a crescendo on Sunday afternoon 20 August, with the performance of the Solo Symphony Concert by the Winelands Philharmonic Orchestra and featuring a collaboration with the local Riebeek Valley Steelband. Early booking essential

The scenic Riebeek Valley is less than an hour’s drive from Cape Town and other cultural centres such as Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek. Accommodation in the two small towns is limited and patrons are strongly encouraged to book tickets and accommodation well in advance.

There is a variety of options of passes, from a Day Pass at R150 to a Premier Weekend Pass at R395. Peripheral activities may incur a surcharge.

For ticket sales and more information, visit www.solostudios.co.za. You can also phone Shawn at 082 528 6785

Joseph Dhafana, The Art of Wine

DECAY

Rust-en-Vrede Gallery, Durbanville

26 July 2023 until 25 August 2023

rust-en-vrede.com

“Decay” is an exhibition exploring the relationship between humankind and the environment. Through their work, artists Matthew Blackburn and Claudia Gurwitz strive to return to the physical and spiritual harmony with Mother Nature.

Nature’s ability to regenerate resonates with Blackburn. All plant and animal matter eventually decay, creating a nutrient rich environment which supplements a new generation of plant life. Thus continuing the circle of life. His work highlights how through pollution, humanity is upsetting nature’s balance.

Through her painting, Gurwitz has always experienced the intrinsic unity that pervades nature. This gives her a sense that we live in a beautiful and orderly world. Her most

recent body of work was born during the Covid Pandemic and explores ‘interrupted’ plant imagery. While we feel a disconnect, our environment in turn, feels out of sync.

Blackburn’s work focuses on our inefficient waste management and disposal. His work draws attention to how plastics and other pollutants are unable to decompose. These accumulate at dumpsites and landfills, eventually overflowing into the environment. Blackburn also aims to bring awareness to the ever-growing problem of pollution, and how it is often overlooked due to instant gratification and greed in our society. “If you really think the environment is less important than the economy, try holding your breath while you count your money”

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Above: Matthew Blackburn, Rat, Acrylic on hardboard, 55cm x 40cm, 2023 Opposite page: Claudia Gurwitz, Adaptation, 2022, Oil on Canvas, 1.4m x 1m
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Matthew Blackburn, Dove, Acrylic on hardboard, 63cmx53cm, 2023

Gurwitz’s work aligns with humanity as organic beings in this world; that we are an integral part of our natural world. While humanity feels off-centre during this time, we are having to find new ways of navigating this altered reality, of engaging with each other and with our environment. While Gurwitz’s paintings allude to a subtly distorted perspective of natural form, she also finds a surprising beauty in their distortion. These slightly uncomfortable combinations give the viewer pause. Perhaps this alternate beauty reflects nature’s resilience and power to heal. There is hope and inspiration as we reshape our new normal.

“Decay” can be viewed from 26 July 2023 until 25 August 2023.

Rust-en-Vrede Gallery and Clay Museum 068 457 8589 / gallery@rust-en-vrede.com www.rust-en-vrede.com

Gallery Hours: Weekdays from 10h00 – 16h00, Saturdays from 9h00 until 13h00.

“Decay” is an exhibition exploring the relationship between humankind and the environment.”
Claudia Gurwitz, Purdah, Oil on Canvas, 33cm x 33cm

STAIRWAYS AND RUINS

NWU Gallery, Potchiefstroom

nwu.ac.za

TheNWU Gallery in collaboration with the research entity ViNCO (Visual Narratives and Creative Outputs) at the North-West University’s Potchefstroom Campus proudly presents the exhibition, Stairways and Ruins, at the NorthWest University Gallery (Potchefstroom Campus) from 17 July until 31 August 2023. For this exhibition, artists have responded with thematic and conceptual interpretations of the theme of stairways and ruins.

The exhibition features work by 23 artists and established as well as upcoming artists are represented in the show. Most of the Graphic Design and History of Art lecturers at the NWU (the subject groups where ViNCO is situated) also participate in the exhibition. Works featured in the exhibition include installations, two- and three-dimensional work, and moving images.

ViNCO is honoured to have Andrew Lamprecht, curator of historical paintings and sculpture at Iziko South African National Gallery, as curator for the exhibition.

For the exhibition, artists were asked to produce a visual artwork using the idea of stairways and ruins, developed from the writing of Bessie Head and Sol Plaatje, as prompt. Interested artists were

briefed on thematic and conceptual possibilities of this notion, including archival matters, memorialisation, myth, auto-ethnography, and (re-) imagined pasts and futures. Therefore, creative possibilities sparked by the topic of the project relate to stairways that invite notions of dreaming, transporting, transcending, and creating, as well as ruins that suggest a consideration of the past, of destruction and of wreckage.

This exhibition forms part of a large-scale, threeyear collaborative practice-led research project by the same name. The project comprises three phases: a launch together with an open call to artists to participate (in 2022); the exhibition in 2023, and finally, a reflection on the project with peer-reviewed scholarly articles during the following year. Participating artists at academic institutions can also apply for recognition of creative outputs as research in this context.

Stairways and Ruins is organised by ViNCO members, and this is the fourth large-scale, threeyear project undertaken by ViNCO (previous projects were Creative Creatures of 2007 to 2009, Transgressions and boundaries of the page that took place during 2009 to 2011, and Reflective Conversations in 2012 to 2014). More information about this project and previous projects can be found at https://humanities.nwu.ac.za/vinco

The exhibition features work by these artists: Armand Aucamp, Sandi Basi, Lindi Cameron, Louisemarié Combrink, Annemi Conradie-Chetty, Marna de Wet, Neo Diseko, Candice Edwards, Héniel Fourie, Nicola Grobler, Franci Greyling, Danelle Heenop, Marina Herbst, Paula Kruger, Jean Lampen, Ricardo Liut, Colette Lotz, Kaylin Moonsamy, Lesego Motsiri, Pieter Odendaal, Juan Steyn, Kiveshan Thumbiran, Joe Turpin, Jan van der Merwe, Zinhle Zulu and Corné Venter.

Stay informed by connecting with NWU Gallery

on:Facebook: @NWU Gallery

Twitter: @NWU Gallery

Instagram: NWU Gallery

Website: http://services.nwu.ac.za/nwu-gallery

Left: Danelle Heenop, Abandoned

Opposite page: Annemi Conradie Chetty, Wake (Detail)

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WHEN THE DUST SETTLES

AtNWU Botanical Gardens Gallery, Turpin explores memories of his NorthWest heritage through the history of a bottle in his solo exhibition “When the Dust Settles”, open to view from 17 July until 31 August 2023.

In February 2022, the foundation stone of the Rustenburg Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in South Africa’s Nort West province, was removed, as the building was finally being sold - there has not been an active worshipping congregation or Jewish Community in over twenty years. After removing the stone, a time capsule was found. Dated 1924, the Bottle contained documents serving to preserve the history of the community, and the opening of the Synagogue. The

Synagogue and congregation was founded and built by Turpin’s Great Grandfather, Philip Wulfsohn, and his brothers, after they arrived in South Africa as refugees fleeing the antiSemitic pogroms of Eastern Europe in the late Twentieth Century. They were originally from Zhager, in what is today Lithuania. It was not uncommon for Yiddish speaking Lithuanian Jews to then leave time capsules. At that time, their community was precarious, and they did not know what would happen to them or their temple in the future. The capsule was evidence of existence. The discovery of the bottle is the point of departure of this work, which addresses memory about the bottle; these places; its’ history. Turpin deals with identity and history, but also a strong theme of mourning.

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No Particular Origin (Foster Gang), 2023, 1219mm x 914mm, Oil, Oil Stick, Acrylic on Canvas

My memories of visiting Rustenburg as a child were not to anybody’s home, or even the temple, but to the Jewish Cemetery. One of two that exist. My Grandfather who is buried there, passed on before I was born. After losing my own Mother as a teenager, I have a desire to connect with and explore her side of my family and its history. Even the sense of community abandonment, white flight, urban migration and now finally the sale of the temple’s building, add to the sense of loss.“

“These themes and works are contextualised in relation to whiteness, colonialism, postcolonialism, antisemitism, and a contemporary African position. I am interested in the narratives of all these isms throughout the

past one hundred years. They include stories of murder, gangs, and politics but also of memory and culture.

Research and artwork production has happened at the following institutions: Bag Factory Artist Studios (Johannesburg), Pratt Institute MFA Studios (New York) and The South African Jewish Board of Deputies Archive at Beyachad (Johannesburg), as well as YiVO and the Centre for Jewish History (New York). “I am grateful also to the work of Rabbi Moshe SIlberhaft, who accompanied me to Rustenburg in June 2022, who is keeping the bottle and its content until they can be archived, and whose work and research, especially with site visits, is invaluable.”

Cabinet, 2023, acrylic and aerosol on silk

“Theoretically, in addition to being concerned with Jewish history myself, I feel that showing a significant body of artworks pertaining to Jewish identity and history, some of site specific, in a location like Potchefstroom, during a climate of growing global antisemitism, has the potential to make people aware of antisemitism’s danger. This is critical in a diasporic Jewish community who exist in small and dwindling numbers, such as the current reality in South Africa.”

“The title “When the Dust Settles” is all encompassing for me when I think about this history – a population that is no more, but with the relics left behind.“

Joe Turpin (b.1995 in Johannesburg) is a South African visual artist whose research

practice focuses on historically charged narratives and semiotics as expansions of painting. Joe makes mixed-media installations grounded in painting that create temporal conversations about identity, memory, and history. His Jewish heritage becomes principal and consequential in exploring stories of migration and persecution. These cultural paradigms inform his archival research and artistic production.

Turpin graduated from the Pratt Institute in New York in 2023 with an MFA in Painting & Drawing, and from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg in 2018 with a BA in Fine Art.

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Above: Minescape I (Nightfall), 2023, 762mm x 762mm, Oil, Oil Stick on Canvas Opposite page: When Tricked by A Chameleon, 2023, 609mm x 762mm, Oil on Canvas

AFTERMATH: A VIBRANT EXPLORATION OF SOCIAL FABRICS

Artist Proof Studio

artistproofstudio.co.za

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Ben printing.

Thewarm murmur of laughter rolled out of Artist Proof Studio’s exhibition space, like the sound of seeds germinating in the aftermath of a storm. Aftermath is a visually enriching exploration of the social fabrics that bind us together, our lived realities, and the profound energy of life.

The word aftermath is from the Old English ‘æfter’ meaning ‘behind in place, later in time’ and ‘mæð’ from the Proto-Indo-European root ‘me-‘, which means ‘to cut down grass’. In this sense, aftermath is part of a process which is defined by a need to cultivate and grow, after the land has been reaped. The artists in Aftermath use the term to refer to this process of growth and renewal after and during moments of adversity. Each artist has a unique perspective, but they are all united by a profound sense of creative energy and a desire to make a difference.

One of the most striking features of the exhibition is the diversity of the artists’ work. The artists use a wide range of printmaking techniques to express their ideas while showcasing incredible skill to produce technically precise and intricate artworks. There is a common thread that runs through the exhibition: a sense of hope and resilience in the face of adversity.

In his introduction to the exhibition, curator and co-participant Tshogofatso Nkhumeleng writes, “Our aim is to present an exhibition that not only examines, but reconstructs our history, traditions, culture, and religion, breathing new life into forgotten narratives.” This goal is evident throughout the exhibition, as the artists use their work to explore a range of social issues, from migration and loss to the hustle and the city.

While each work feels imbued with light and optimism, the artists have not been blindly optimistic. The use of bright seductive colours throughout the exhibition delicately contrasts the dark thematic underbelly, harmonious in their yinyang balance.

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Seza Zitha, Noite Na Praia, Linocut, 17.4x15cm, 2023 Betinho Mokwane, Objective, Monotype Chincole, 69.8x85.5cm, 2023 Ben Mphande, Dystopian I, Lithgraph, 35x49.7cm, 2023

The exhibition is not simply a catalogue of social ills or conversely but rather, is a cultivated celebration of the resilience of the artists and their communities. In the face of adversity, the artists use their work to evoke a sense of hope and possibility. They show us that even in the aftermath of disaster, there is always the potential for new beginnings.

Samukelo Gqola explores his personal experiences and cultural heritage in his paintings, using sensitive mark-making, and soft colours to depict his memories of growing up in the Eastern Cape. Seza Zitha portrays himself as a hybrid creature that represents the interplay between humanity and animality, with cat-like features and halocrowned head symbolizing his dual identity as a black African man and an artist. Tshogofatso Nkhumeleng celebrates the human spirit and our ability to overcome adversity, depicting life as a game of the hustle and strategy. Hlavutelo Ngobeni celebrates the beauty and importance of our cultural heritage in her work, using traditional objects such as clay pots and baskets to represent

the values and traditions that have been passed down through generations. Thabo Skhosana’s work explores grief and loss, and the importance of resilience using windows and doorways as symbolic portals that connect the past, present, and future. Betinho Mokwane finds inspiration in the urban landscape of Johannesburg and Soweto, using vibrant colours and bold textures to capture the energy and diversity of these cities. Bekezela Mabena abstractly maps his lived realities and position within the landscape. Ben Mphande explores the dynamics of living in the city of Johannesburg, with a specific focus on how people navigate their way in search of a better life and financial opportunity.

The exhibition is an impactful and moving exploration of the social fabric of each artist’s lived reality. Contemporary art lovers alike will revel in the art from these inspiring emerging artists.

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Bekezela Mabena, Boarder Jumpers I, Monotype, 99.2cm x 147cm, 2023
“The exhibition is a cultivated celebration of the resilience of the artists and their communities.”

BEING AND BECOMING: A CELEBRATION OF 150 YEARS OF UNISA

Unisa Art Gallery

05 - 30 August 2023

“Being and Becoming: A Celebration of 150 Years of UNISA” is an exhibition that examines the profound concepts of being and becoming within the context of UNISA’s rich history and its commitment to transformative education. Inspired by the philosophical insights of Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari’s “A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia,” (1987)1 this exhibition offers a thoughtful exploration of the dynamic interplay between permanence and transformation and the potential for growth and change.

In line with UNISA’s 150th celebration motto, “Reclaiming and Reimagining Africa’s intellectual futures,” the exhibition introduces the metaphor of the rhizome as a means to visualise a non-hierarchical, interconnected system of thought. Numerous artworks from the UNISA Art Collection are juxtaposed against each other, inviting the exploration of notions such as identity, multiplicity, fluidity, and interconnectedness. The exhibition embraces the rhizomatic nature of the UNISA Art collection by defying fixed identities and ideas and celebrating the diverse experiences and ideas that have shaped the 150-years history of UNISA, while also envisioning new intellectual futures through art and technology for the continent and beyond.

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Siopis Penelope, Pastime, 1992, Hand Coloured StoneLithograph Battis, Walter., The Home I Inhabit, 1960, Archival Pigment Ink on Acid Free Cotton Rag Paper, 50 × 71 cm
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Marasela Senzeni, Failing, 2017, Wool on Shoal, 145 x 180 cm Lemaoana, Lawrence, The Discussion, 2006. Digital print on 100% cotton rag paper, 112 x 173 cm Laubser, Maggie, Landscape with Pink House.n.d, Oil on Board, 40 x 55 cm

Through the selected artworks, the exhibition highlights the interconnectedness of UNISA’s journey with that of its students, faculty, and the broader community. It also emphasizes the significant role played by the Department of Art and Music, the UNISA Art Gallery, and the UNISA Art Collection within UNISA’s 150 years of unwavering commitment to education and the pursuit of knowledge. By visually exploring and challenging traditional notions of identity, knowledge, and power, the exhibition encourages viewers to engage with multiple perspectives and possibilities.

The creative expressions in the selected artworks capture the essence of becoming—a continuous evolution and transformation that transcends fixed identities. By engaging with the diverse perspectives and possibilities presented, the exhibition further encourages a comprehension of different paths of becoming, while remaining mindful of the present and embracing the complexity and diversity of the past and present.

As Deleuze and Guattari assert, becoming cannot be understood as mere imitation or regression (1987:239), but rather as a dynamic process exemplified by a growing rhizome similar to the UNISA Art Collection that continues to expand. The selected artworks, acquired through acquisitions and donations, embody a spirit of invention and progress, evoking a sense of constant motion and potentiality.

The exhibition, “Being and Becoming: A Celebration of 150 Years of UNISA,” aims to inspire dialogue and reflection on the various journeys of becoming presented in the works, prompting viewers to explore the intersections between being and becoming as UNISA continues to nurture a community of learners who are constantly evolving and adapting to an ever-changing world.

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“The creative expressions in the selected artworks capture the essence of becoming - a continuous evolution and transformation that transcends fixed identities.”
Sekoto, Gerard, Portrait of the Artists’s Mother, 1946-47, Oil on Canvas Board, 55 x 50 cm Sebidi, Mmakgabo Helen, Untitled, 1987, Charcoal, 240 x 180 cm
Study online Become art savvy Study when it suits 24/7 student support Flexible payment options Guided by experienced tutors Written by leading art experts Enrol Now! www.theartinstitute.co.za info@theartinstitute.co.za

A FLEXIBLE ONLINE ART APPRECIATION COURSE TO REKINDLE A PASSION FOR ART

theartinstitute.co.za

Throughout the Ages art has always been an important part of any society, never independent from any culture. However, when it comes to art today many of us often feel a lack of understanding and frequently wish we knew more.

As John Ruskin the famous English art critic of the Victorian era put in: “Life without work is guilt, work without art is brutality.”

Through art education we can learn to understand and appreciate the skills, the media, the historical background and the importance of the art works in the past and through this the present. We can learn why and how it inspires us, gives us joy and it enriches our lives. Every artwork or artefact conveys a story of the personal, the sociological, the political and the religious influences behind the creation. How do we connect these artworks with others and what can we learn from them?

With many of us leading busy lives it is not always easy to dedicate 3 or more years

to full or part time study in the traditional sense. This course has touched a nerve with many students wanting to further their art education. The flexibility to learn online with a personal tutor has many advantages. You can study when and wherever it suits.

This Art Appreciation Course is directed by art and antiques consultant, broadcaster, international lecturer and writer Hilary Kay, familiar to audiences for her many appearances on the BBC’s Antique Roadshow Programme. Hilary has brought together 12 leading art experts to provide students with a wonderful overview of art history, covering all aspects of Western art from its very beginning all the way up to the 21st century. It is an unhurried detailed look at the broad shifts in art, highlighting the most influential artists and artworks. It discusses the changes in ideologies, clearly reflected in the art of the day. This is a comprehensive online art course delivered in a supportive online learning environment. The course will help students to think critically and become art savvy.

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A tutor is allocated to the student at the start of the course. This allows for the student to develop a personal relationship with the tutor. All tutors have been handpicked for their own professional success and their ability to pass on what they know. The tutors are not just teachers, but leading professionals in their area of expertise.

The course contains 12 modules, which are downloaded from a student site. Each module averages 60 pages and at the end of the lesson there is an assignment to complete. The assignments are challenging and thought provoking. Once the assignment is complete and submitted, the allocated tutor will mark the assignment and give the student specific constructive feedback as well as advise how the student can improve. Student support can be contacted at any time.

The course has flexible payment options on offer and enrolling can be done at any time as there are no specific starting dates, once enrolled you receive login details and you can get started immediately. You can go as fast or as slow as you like, there are no deadlines and students will have up to a year to complete the course.

If a student decides the course is not suitable, there is a “7 Day Money Back Guarantee Policy” in place.

Everyone is welcome to enrol into the Art Appreciation Course. The only requirement is that you have a passion for Art and a willingness to learn.

For some this course will be a brilliant overview to add to previously gained qualifications and for others this will be the first step to explore this exciting new realm further.

The online Art Appreciation Course is fun and flexible! Art history with a twist!

Contact details:

Email: support@theartinstitute.co.za

Visit: www.theartinstitute.co.za

Link for newsletter:

www.theartinstitute.co.za/?code=Art_Times

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Hilary Kay

Threads of Visual Narratives Traditional Artistry, Contemporary Art and National Heritage_art times advert_smaller 18 July 2023 12:45:22 PM

0 5 25 75 95 100

Business Art SANAVA

Member Auction

01-31 October 2023

sanava.co.za

About the Cité

In the early 1980s SANAVA acquired three atelier apartments at the Cité for the benefit of South African visual artists who have been members of a branch of the association for at least two immediately preceding years. Founded in 1965, the Cité is today the largest artist residency centre in the world. Since its opening it has accommodated more than 18 000 artists from all over the world. Located at 18 rue de l’Hôtel de Ville in the heart of the Marais district, residents at the Cité use their time there to produce art and develop creatively further. Residencies can last from 2 to 12 months. The complex also houses galleries where artists can exhibit their works. Read more: https://sanava.co.za/cite/

The Member Auction

To be eligible for participation in the member prestigious auction, you need to be a SANAVA member in good standing. This means being a member of an Arts Association that is affiliated with SANAVA. From the total submissions, 500 works will be shortlisted for auctioning, selected by Gordon Froud, SANAVA Vice-President, artist, curator and the current Head of Department of Visual Arts at the University of Johannesburg; and Elfriede Dreyer, SANAVA Vice-President, artist, curator and Extraordinary Professor in Art at Unisa.

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Pompidou Centre in Paris Inside the apartments, Cité
“500 works will be shortlisted for auctioning, selected by Gordon Froud and Elfriede Dreyer”
View over Paris

SUBMISSION OF WORK

• Submit your entries from 15 to 30 August 2023 to Ané du Plessis at info@sanava.co.za

• Maximum TWO entries per artist in any medium or size.

• Images should be in 72dpi format and total size should not be bigger than 3 Mb per image. All images should be labelled with the artist’s name; title of the work; date of the work; media of the work; its dimensions in cm; the SELLING PRICE of the work (SANAVA will take 30% commission on works sold in order to raise funds); and an indication of whether it is framed/unframed. Unlabelled images will be rejected for entry.

• Entry fee: Non-refundable R200 per work.

When work has been auctioned/sold, buyers are responsible for the transport cost from the artist to the buyer.

Full information on the SANAVA website at https://sanava.co.za/member-auction

Auction curator: Prof. Elfriede Dreyer

Contact and more info: SANAVA secretary: Ané du Plessis, info@sanava.co.za

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Place des Vosges, Paris

STRAUSS & CO

The 2023 Edition of August Art Month at Welgemeend

straussart.co.za

August Art Month at Welgemeend celebrates the geography, essence and history of the Western Cape

CAPE TOWN – The 2023 edition of August Art Month at Welgemeend promises to deliver on its status as the premier art event in Cape Town’s winter culture calendar. A collaboration between art collectors and philanthropists

Frank and Lizelle Kilbourn, the volunteer group Friends of Welgemeend, auction house Strauss & Co and premium winemaker Delaire Graff Estate, this year’s tenth edition of August Art Month at Welgemeend (2 – 31 August 2023) takes as its theme the geography, essential characteristics and history of the Western Cape.

Anchored by an exhibition of paintings and sculptures, Cape Moments/ Kaapse Oomblikke will feature a wide-ranging selection of historical and contemporary art about the Cape that has been acquired over many years by the Kilbourn family and invited co-collectors. As is tradition, the extensive social, educational and hospitality programme for 2023 August Art Month at Welgemeend will reflect the themes of this art exhibition.

“Twenty-one years ago, Lizelle and I relocated with our children from Johannesburg to Cape Town,” says Frank Kilbourn, businessman and chairperson of Strauss & Co. “Cape Town is much smaller and more intimate than Johannesburg and our relationships with several dealers, gallerists and auction

74 WWW.ARTTIMES.CO.ZA Business Art
Gwelo Goodman Dawn at Table Mountain, Kilbourn Collection

houses allowed us to be exposed to, meet and befriend an exciting variety of Cape-based artists. This certainly expanded our collection and deepened the joy we derive from it. We are proud to have been involved with our partners, The Friends of Welgemeend, Strauss & Co and Delaire Graff, in preserving Welgemeend and bringing art to our community.”

Frank Kilbourn, who is curating the exhibition together with Strauss & Co’s head curator Wilhelm van Rensburg, adds: “For the tenth edition of August Art Month at Welgemeend, we thought it would be rewarding to look specifically at the many and diverse portrayals of life and the landscape of the Cape by artists we collect. It is always a joy to hang these

exhibitions at Welgemeend, and this year we hope to once again surprise visitors with a selection of artworks that encompass both the natural beauty of the region and important social events particular to this part of South Africa.”

The artist line up is thoroughly diverse and ranges from celebrated Cape landscape painters like Gregoire Boonzaier, Gwelo Goodman, J. E. A. Volschenk, Hugo Naude’ and Eric Laubscher to documentary photographers David Goldblatt, George Hallett and Jürgen Schadeberg. The exhibition will include a focus on Simon’s Town-born painter and graphic artist Peter Clarke, whose socially minded work lovingly focussed on life

Clarke, Peter Edward, South African 1929-2015, The Acrobat’s Family, signed and dated 5.1.1957, mixed media on paper, excluding frame: 25 x 30 cm including frame: 57 x 67 x 4,5 cm
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Clarke, Peter Edward, South African 1929-2015, Acrobat, Midget and Chimpanzee, signed and dated 5.1.1957; inscribed with the title on the reverse mixed media on paper, excluding frame: 29 x 20 cm, including frame: 58 x 48 x 5,5 cm

in the Cape Peninsula. Nic Bladen’s life-size bronze studies of petite Cape flora contrast with painter Matthew Hindley’s larger-scale studies of fires on Table Mountain.

“I am particularly fond of the heritage and educational aspect of August Art Month at Welgemeend,” says Lizelle Kilbourn, lawyer and writer. “This project, which is about fostering art and community, takes place in a landmark space that is 330 years old. Welgemeend houses and displays earlier 20th-century masterpieces formerly owned by the much-loved Afrikaans poet and scholar Izak Wilhelmus “Boerneef” van der Merwe. It is important that we as South Africans are afforded opportunities to reflect on our cultural heritage and share the incredible art that has been created in our country.”

“Cultivating an appreciation for art and enriching the experience of it for those already on their journey as collectors is central to our function as South Africa’s premier auction house,” says Bina Genovese, Managing Executive, Strauss & Co. “August Art Month at Welgemeend has established itself as a wonderful platform allowing private collectors to show their work to an art-interested public. We are proud to support this superb annual initiative, which is an important passion project for us.”

The busy programme for 2023 August Art Month at Welgemeend commences with a ticketed opening gala dinner and fundraising auction (R1300 p/p) catered by Jacques Erasmus, owner of renowned Cape Town restaurant Hemelhuijs. Frank Kilbourn will offer four public walkabouts of Cape Moments/ Kaapse Oomblikke, on 5, 8, 11 and 18 August (R200 p/p). Virtuoso pianist Gerhard Joubert will perform a recital on 20 August (R300 p/p).

There will also be a number of public lectures by notable personalities, including art writer and critic Amanda Botha and Strauss & Co lead auctioneer Bina Genovese. Wilhelm van Rensburg, co-curator with Frank Kilbourn of Cape Moments/ Kaapse Oomblikke, will discuss the history of Cape arts on 12 August.

For a full programme of events, including dates, timings and costs, please consult either the Strauss & Co or Welgemeend Art websites. The net proceeds of all the events will be utilised for the continued preservation and renovation of Welgemeend.

About August Art Month: Established in 2014 by art collector Frank Kilbourn and auctioneer Stephan Welz, Strauss & Co’s founding director who passed away in 2015, the initiative aims to shore up support for Welgemeend, a historic home built on the slopes of Table

Lock, Freida, South African 1902-1962, Kitchen Interior with a Red Carpet, signed and dated 51, oil on board, (excl frame): 60 x 49,5 cm Bladen, Nic, South African 1974, Orbea Variegata, 2022 bronze, size: 23 x 14 x 16 cm

Valley in 1693. Welgemeend was declared a national monument in 1944. It is owned and managed by Jan van Riebeeck Hoërskool, in collaboration with the Friends of Welgemeend. August Art Month is an important source of revenue for the maintenance and preservation of this landmark Cape property. www.welgemeendart.co.za

About Strauss & Co: Strauss & Co is Africa’s leading art auction house. With monthly online sales and marquee live auctions, Strauss & Co offers African and international art, as well as design, wine and jewellery, at all price levels. Market leaders in modern and contemporary art at auction in Africa, Strauss & Co (founded in 2009) actively champions artists, designers and wine producers from the African region. It supports various education and community engagement programmes. www.straussart.co.za

About Delaire Graff Estate: The Delaire Graff Estate in Stellenbosch was acquired in 2003 by Laurence Graff, Chairman, Graff Diamonds International, and opened to public in 2010 as a world-class destination for wine, art, cuisine, and an escape from the everyday. The estate produces supremely elegant vintages from Bordeaux reds and Chardonnay grapes grown in vineyards situated on the slopes of Botmaskop Mountain. The estate is also known for its large showcase of art from Laurence Graff’s personal art collection. www.delaire.co.za

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Pierneef, Jacobus Hendrik, South African 1886-1957, Koringlande, Agter Paarl, signed and dated 52, inscribed with the title on the reverse. oil on board, size: 53 x 84 cm
“A wide-ranging selection of historical and contemporary art about the Cape that has been acquired over many years”

WELGEMEEND

Maand van Kuns | Art Month

KAAPSE OOMBLIKKE | CAPE MOMENTS

Art Exhibition | Fundraising Gala Dinner

Walkabouts & Lectures | Strauss & Co Art Valuations

Classical Music Concert

2 - 31 August 2023 Kilbourn Collection

Gwelo Goodman | Dawn at Table Mountain

Business Art STEPHAN WELZ & CO.

entrapment. He believes that our sense of liberty in South Africa was deeply distorted by the Apartheid regime, and the lasting effects are haunting. Hence Catherine’s tendencies to lean into a surrealist interpretation of South Africa as the political and social mayhem almost feels like a distorted reality to many. It is this surrealist representation combined with Catherine’s dark humor which encapsulates the dystopian feel of his works.

NormanCatherine is a revered South African artist whose body of work has experienced a metamorphosis over the span of his career. The dark humor and monstrous creatures which are synonymous with Catherine’s artwork have morphed throughout time emulating his shifting perspectives throughout his life. Although Catherine undoubtedly leaves the interpretation of his works for the onlooker to decipher, his outlook on life does shine through.

As an artist he was influenced by his upbringing during Apartheid and his works often showcase the turmoil and violence evident within South Africa’s turbulent socio-political landscape both during and post-Apartheid. Catherine’s work portrays the nuanced and complex issues of power relationships within this era and the lasting effects of a power imbalance. He interprets this by portraying the ripple effect of the dogma of Apartheid in South Africa as a collectively deformed and mutilated psyche which at the hands of systematic brutality can only be interpreted as a form of psychic

Catherine’s use of monstrous and distinctly odd creatures creates a balance between the inner and outer psychological trauma of South Africa and depicts the ongoing social turmoil we still see today. These creatures are intended to capture the social collective psyche of South Africans and their political figures in some instances, therefore grounding the political absurdity in some form of reality. However, the humorous elements which transpire in Catherine’s works are often a response to the injustices South Africans have experienced, and for Catherine it is seen as a necessary means.

In some of Catherine’s earlier works where he used airbrush as a primary medium, we can see him grappling with the horror and the galvanization of South Africa’s liberty. The particular creatures he depicted during this era lacked the comical essence that is so recognisable in his works today, however the haunting and horrified elements of these pieces were not only impactful but lead to some of Catherine’s most significant and important works.

It was during his years abroad in New York city and Los Angeles where Catherine solidified his feeling towards South Africa and the atrocities taking place in his homeland. The juxtaposition between America and South Africa was stark for Catherine as he said that “the excess of freedom has become decadent, the harsh realities of existing there [America] make it also frightening” (Jamal 2001: 8). He realised as an artist he could not abandon his home.

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Above: Norman Clive Catherine (South African 1949 - ) BLUE FACE, signed, oil on canvas, 30 x 30cm; 42 x 42 by 5cm including framing, Estimate: R50 000 – R80 000 - Hammer: R 61 500
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Above and previous page: Norman Clive Catherine (South African 1949 - ), DS 5 SERIES, five in the lot, the second and third signed, the first and fifth inscribed AP II/IV and the second, third and fourth inscribed AP I/IV in pencil in the margin, giclée print, each sheet size: 20 x 18cm; 58 x 163,5 by 2cm including frame, Estimate: R15 000 – R20 000 - Hammer: R 20 910 Norman Clive Catherine (South African 1949 - ), SNAKE HEAD, signed; 175 inscribed on the base, painted wood, 86,5cm (height); 20cm (width); 11cm (depth), including base, Estimate: R35 000 – R50 000 Norman Clive Catherine (South African 1949 - ), LONG NECK, signed and numbered 3/9, bronze, 42,5cm (height); 9,5cm (width); 15,5cm (depth), Estimate: R50 000 – R70 000 Norman Clive Catherine (South African 1949 - ), FEATHERHEAD, signed, oil on canvas, 40 x 50cm; 51 x 61 by 4,5cm including frame, Estimate: R80 000 – R120 000

Catherine’s collaboration with the artist Walter Battiss on the concept of Fook Island is a perfect example of the perception which governs his work. Fook Island was a notion which was intended to encapsulate a utopia filled with a sense of liberation and joy which lead to Catherine creating the opposing/ neighboring island of cannibals (Fourth world) after Battiss’ death. He believed that one could not exist without the other as “nothing seemingly pure and innocent could possibly survive within an aberrant society, and Catherine intuitively knew this. Hence, his island of cannibals.” (Jamal 2001: 5). These paradoxical notions perfectly denote Catherine’s perception as he believes to be human means to experience it all – violence, joy, suffering, happiness etc. especially in a displaced society such as South Africa’s.

His work often explores the inner conflicts of the human psyche and as an extension of this motif emotions such as anger, fear and suffering are often depicted in Catherine’s works as he believes that the human

experience embodies a degree of violence and suffering which ties into the notion that Catherine’s work is in fact a state of mind. He intentionally projects a sense of discomfort and unease for his onlookers and intends for his artwork to act as a form of psychological self-introspection for his audience.

It is the unique balance of Catherine’s motifs which make him one of South Africa’s most revered contemporary artists. He perpetuates the melancholy which not only governs our reality but also deeply speaks to the sociopolitical landscape of South Africa. Catherine is a master of emulating bitter-sweet sentiments tinged with dark humor that feel somehow uniquely South African.

Jamal, A. 2001. Norman Catherine and The Art of Terror. University of Natal. Norman Catherine: Biography. Everard Read www.everard-read.co.za/artist/NORMAN_ CATHERINE/biography/

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Norman Clive Catherine (South African 1949 - ), HEADS, signed and numbered A/P, tapestry, 208,5 x 218,5cm, unframed, Estimate: R100 000 – R150 000

NEW GALLERIES, ONGOING SHOWS AND OPENING EXHIBITIONS

Mondli Mbhele, Ingoma Yothando Sasol New Signatures Winner 2022 Solo exhibition
ARTGO AUG-SEPT 2023

ARTGO: AUGUST 2023

OPENING EXHIBITIONS

Everard Read Johannesburg

Blooming Amazing Nic Bladen | Solo Exhibition

Opens Wednesday, 2 August 2023, 5:30PM

www.everard-read.co.za

ArtB gallery VULEKA

The annual Vuleka competition with a first prize of R 50 000. 05/08/2023 until 26/08/2023

www.artb.co.za

Welgemeend 2023 August Art Month

A collaboration between art collectors and philanthropists Frank and Lizelle Kilbourn, the volunteer group Friends of Welgemeend, auction house Strauss & Co and premium winemaker Delaire Graff Estate.

02/08/2023 until 31/08/2023

www.welgemeendart.co.za

Artist Proof Studio

Printmaking Workshops: Learn the ins and outs of printmaking with our expert facilitators. These workshops are open to anyone interested in the print medium, regardless of your skill level or prior experience with printmaking. Book your spot today 05/08/2023

www.artistproofstudio.co.za/collections/aps-printmakingworkshops

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Gallery 2

Solo Exhibition | Farhana Jacobs | Imprints

05/08/2023 until 26/08/2023

Opening on August 5th at 11h00 for 1130

Artwork: Midora, Acrylic on canvas www.gallery2.co.za

Everard-Read

What I Feel When I Think About The Cosmos Group Show

12/08/2023 until 17/09/2023

Opening 11am on Saturday the 12th of August www.everard-read-franschhoek.co.za

UNISA Art Gallery

Being and Becoming: A Celebration of 150 Years of UNISA

An exhibition that examines the profound concepts of being and becoming within the context of UNISA’s rich history and its commitment to transformative education.

05/08/2023 until 30/08/2023

www.unisa.ac.za

NEL

The launch of South African band Die Kaalkop Waarheid’s latest Album “In Die Kaap”. In Collaboration with the Fine Artist, Erna Groenewald they are setting the stage for an unforgettable lyrical experience.

Opening 12/08/2023 18h00- 20h00 pm www.nelart.co.za

ARTGO: AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2023 OPENING EXHIBITIONS

GFI Art Gallery

RK Contemporary Dialogue

A group show inviting artists to respond to any aspect of distinctive, iconic or well-known paintings. A contemporary slant or own interpretation, a composition in artist’s own style or playing with a new visual interpretation of the title or a well-known painting. 17/08/2023 until 24/09/2023

www.rkcontemporary.com

The Mount Nelson Hotel with Investec

Cape Town Art Fair

The second collaboration exhibition between Mount Nelson Hotel, A Belmond Hotel and Investec Cape Town Art Fair, titled “An Endless Night“, curated by Anelisa Mangcu 23/05/2023 until 28/08/2023

www.instagram.com/belmondmountnelsonhotel

Solo Studios

Riebeek Valley | ‘Intimate Art Encounters’ | Seventeen artists’ studios will be open to the public over the weekend of 18–20 August, with eight of these artists having invited external collaborators to co-exhibit in their personal spaces.

www.solostudios.co.za

Gallery 2

Solo Exhibition | Rosemary Joynt | Space to Breathe 02/09/2023 until 30/09/2023

Opening on September 2nd at 11h00 for 1130

Image: Drenched in Green, Oil on canvas

www.gallery2.co.za

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Spier Arts Trust Union House

Portrait 100

An exhibition of 60 portraits that make up the Top 100 finalist selection of the 2023 Portrait Award.

02/09/2023 unitl 13/10/2023

www.rust-en-vrede.com

Rust-en-Vrede Gallery

Portrait Award 2023 Top 40

Exhibition of portraits by the 2023 Portrait Award Top 40 Finalists

02/09/2023 until 02/11/2023

www.rust-en-vrede.com

Rust-en-Vrede Clay Museum

Getting ‘Ahead’ of Lionel Smit

An exhibition by 9 invited ceramic artists being creative with a Lionel Smit sculpted head.

02/09/2023 until 02/11/2023

www.rust-en-vrede.com

The Viewing Room Art Gallery at St. Lorient High School Exhibition

02/09/2023 until 09/09/2023

ww.theviewingroom.co.za

ARTGO: AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2023

OPENING EXHIBITIONS

Daor Contemporary

Neither Here Nor There

Elmarie Van Straten | Solo Exhibition

Opening 07/09/2023 at 6PM until 30/09/2023

www.daor.co.za

Gallery Glen Carlou

Artwords | Curated by Jean Dreyer

Featuring works by: Anton Birkenmayer, Alta Botha, Benjamin Coutouvidis, Jean Dreyer, Klara du Plessis, Kadie Salmon, Karen Elkington, Xander Ferreira, Adelheid Frackiewicz, Laurel Ann Holmes, Elrie Joubert, Anton Kannemeyer, Dale Lawrence, Balekane Legoabe, Maia (Levan) Lehr-Sacks, Warren Maroon, Maja Marx, Franli Meintjes, Henk Serfontein, Katherine Spindler, Carolyn Parton, Jeannette Unite, Diana Vives, Emma Willemse, Ingrid Winterbach,Sivan Zeffertt

10/09/2023 until 05/11/2023

www.glencarlou.com

Pretoria Art Museum

Ingoma Yothando | A solo exhibition by Mondli Mbhele, Sasol New Signatures winner 2022

Mbhele’s solo exhibition will take place alongside the New Signatures 2023 exhibition | 118 works have been selected from around the South Africa to proceed to the final round of judging and will be featured in the competition’s catalogue for 2023.

07/09/2023 until 29/10/2023

www.sasolsignatures.co.za

Gallery Glen Carlou

Featuring works by Elske Henderson, Ingrid Bolton and Adele Sherlock

10/09/2023 until 05/11/2023

www.glencarlou.com

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EBONY/CURATED

Modern Masters V

In our fifth ‘Modern Masters’ exhibition to be held in our Cape Town Gallery, we feature a curated selection of artworks by well-regarded South African Masters and historical artists from the continent. This instalment features works by Walter Battiss, Maggie Laubser, Norman Catherine, Kingsley Sambo and Robert Hodgins amongst others.

03/08/2023 until 16/09/2023

www.ebonycurated.com

The Viewing Room Art Gallery at St. Lorient TUT 3D Exhibition

16/09/2023 until 28/10/2023

www.theviewingroom.co.za

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Learning through Art_The museum as classrooms_Art times_set up for print 18 July 2023 12:36:53 PM

ARTGO: AUGUST 2023 ONGOING SHOWS

The Cape Gallery

What If? (Group Exhibition)

‘What if’ is a group exhibition exploring the ironies implicit in visual imagery. Do you see what you know or know what you see? Are you transported into an incredible but believable world of fantasy? Or are you hesitant as there is more than one way of viewing an artwork?

16/07/2023 until 12/08/2023.

www.capegallery.co.za

Oliewenhuis Art Museum (Main Building)

Learning through Art: The museum as classroom

This exhibition is a visual celebration of South African artists and artworks for everyone to enjoy, with a special focus on the Grade 10 –12 Visual Art curriculums. Until 20/08/2023

www.facebook.com/OliewenhuisArtMuseum

Oliewenhuis Art Museum

Learning Through Art: The Museum As Classroom

A Visual arts curriculum -based exhibition curated from Oliewenhuis Art

Museum’s Permanent Collection, complimented by artwork loans courtesy of Sanlam Art Collection

Until 20/08/2023

www.nasmus.co.za/visitorinformation

Rust-en-Vrede Gallery

Decay

A joint exhibition by artists Matthew Blackburn and Claudia Gurwitz

26/07/2023 UNTIL 25/08/2023

www.rust-en-vrede.com

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SMAC JHB

Rosie Mudge | Solo Exhibition

Under Pressure

08/07/2023 until 25/08/2023

www.smacgallery.com

WhatIfTheWorld

Oh So Quiet Group Exhibition

15/07/2023 until 26/08/2023

www.whatiftheworld.com

Everard Read Johannesburg

WINTER 2023 | A group show featuring artworks by established artists as well as younger artists beginning to make their mark.

18/07/2023 until 26/08/2023

www.everard-read.co.za

The Melrose Gallery

Quiet as it’s Kept Group Exhibition

Performance Thursday 17 August 6pm by Bridget Modema 30/07/2023 until 27/08/2023

themelrosegallery.com

ARTGO: AUGUST 2023

ONGOING SHOWS

Daor Contemporary Atmosphere

Carin Dorrington, Siyabonga Fani, Eugene Hayman, Sibusiso Ngwazi, Janet Ormond, Thabo Pitso, Tanja

Truscott, Dominique Zinkpè.

Until 31/08/2023

www.daor.co.za

NWU Botanical Gardens

Solo Exhibition | When The Dust Settles by Joe Turpin

17/07/2023 until 31/08/2023

www.services.nwu.ac.za/nwu-gallery/what-showing

NWU Main Gallery

Stairways and Ruins

For this exhibition, artists have responded with thematic and conceptual interpretations of the theme of stairways and ruins.

17/07/2023 until 31/08/2023

www.humanities.nwu.ac.za/vinco

White River Gallery

Majak Bredell | Solo Exhibition

Dialogues and Analogies

Artist Walkabout 09/08/2023

AUGUST whiterivergallery.co.za

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131A Gallery

Anenex Focus

A selection of new works by various artists

View Online

Artwork: Tara Deacon - Summers In The City, 2023, Gouache and pencil on paper www.131agallery.com

AITY Gallery

Tonal Tapestries | Group exhibition

From Subtle Whispers to Bold Strokes,” a curated group exhibition that invites art enthusiasts on a journey through the captivating world of contrasting expressions 19/08/2023 until 11/09/2023

www.aitygallery.com

The Viewing Room Art Gallery at St. Lorient

I am Worthy | Group exhibition

12/08/2023 until 09/09/2023

www.theviewingroom.co.za

Zeitz MOCAA

Mary Evans - GILT

Solo exhibition by Nigerian-born, British artist Mary Evans that offers a new series of site-specific responses informed by a period of research and exploration in Cape Town, which the artist undertook in August 2022.

Until 29 October 2023

www.zeitzmocaa.museum

ARTGO: AUGUST 2023

ONGOING SHOWS

Oliewenhuis Art Museum

Threads Of Visual Narratives

Traditional Artistry, Contemporary Art and National Heritage.

Until 03/12/2023

www.nasmus.co.za/visitorinformation

Rupert Museum

AbstRacT - the hidden synchrony

On show till February 2024

This exhibition takes a closer look at the synchrony in the complete Synchromies series by Swiss psychiatrist, psychotherapist and later turned photographer Oscar Forel (1891-1982) that was published in 1961. www.rupertmuseum.org

Art, antiques, objets d’art, furniture, and jewellery wanted for forthcoming auctions

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View previous action results at www.rkauctioneers.co.za 011 789 7422 • info@rkauctioneers.co.za • Bram Fischer Centre, Lower Ground, 95 Bram Fischer Drive, Cnr George Street, Ferndale, 2194
Jim Dine, The Red Venus SOLD R80 000 Robert Gwelo Goodman, Cape Landscape with Distant Mountains SOLD R48 000
SCAN HERE TO DOWNLOAD OUR APP
Eduardo Villa, Couple SOLD R140 000

Consider

Consign now to our upcoming Johannesburg and Cape Town auctions. Our departmental specialists are available to provide you with a confidential and obligation-free valuation. Covering fine art, decorative arts, Asian and Oriental art, vintage fashion, silver, jewellery, furniture, collectables, carpets, clocks and watches we offer a range of expertise across numerous categories.

For an appointment, please contact us: Cape Town 021 794 6461 or email ct@swelco.co.za Johannesburg 011 880 3125 or email info@swelco.co.za www.swelco.co.za

Home of the collector since 1968
Selling?
150
Norman Clive Catherine HEADS Est: R100 000 –
000

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