POP AND EARTHSONGS EXHIBITIONS

By Lethabo Gumede www.themelrosegallery.com

The Melrose Gallery presents the POP exhibition which runs from 12 November 2021 to 30 January 2022. The exhibition brings together an array of colour, a modern aesthetic and contemporary African art collaged into The Diamond Walk, Sandton City. As you enter the exhibition, you are greeted by two bold and boisterous artworks by Paul Blomkamp which provide a befitting interpretation of the exhibition’s inspiration by featuring two renowned popular culture icons: Oprah Winfrey and Richard Branson.

Drawing inspiration from a period that generated revolutionary ideas and tastemakers, the POP exhibition brings together a refreshing selection of 21st century sculptures, paintings, and mixed media. The neat curation of diverse works brings together a playful yet contemporary African art experience. Afterall, popular culture has the longstanding reputation of transcending the ordinary and bringing the thrill of contemporary to the masses and that is exactly what the POP exhibition articulates.

The exhibition is a celebration of Pan African contemporary artists and their daring approach to contemporary African art. As a group exhibition, the confluence of ideas between the different medium is a radical coming together of established artists such as Dr Esther Mahlangu and Dr Willie Bester as well as emerging artists such as Aza Mansongi, Papytsho Mafolo and Ronald Muchatuta.

Paul Blomkamp, Oprah...Rhe True Electric Essence, 2021, Acrylic on canvas

Installation view of Pascal Konan’s wosks.

“EarthSongs takes us on a spiritual journey traversing known and unknown South African landscapes.”

POP Exhibition Participating artists include:

Paul Du Toit, Isabelle Scheltjens, Gavin Rain, Christiaan Diedericks, Andries Visser, Mark Swart, Tumelo Mphela, Louis Chanu, Anton Smit, Pascal Konan, Aza Mansongi, Barry Sullivan, Simon Zitha, Denis Mubiru, Pascal Konan, Strijdom Van der Merve, Mederic Turay, Elizabeth Balcom, Edozie Anedu, Papytsho Mafolo, Paul Blomkamp, Mark Chapman, Senzo Shabangu, Richard Mason, Uwe Pfaff, Ronald Muchatuta, Mandlenkosi Mavengere, Vusi Khumalo, Dr Esther Mahlangu, Wilma Cruise, Dr Willie Bester, Sandile Radebe, Andre Stead, Vusi Beauchamp, Ndabuko Ntuli, Kenneth Shandu and Clint Strydom,

Meanwhile, back at The Melrose Gallery, Johannesburg, esteemed South African photographer Paul Weinberg offers a downto-earth visual offering of a collection of photographs. Captured between 2019 and 2021, EarthSongs is a quiet exploration of South African land and the scared relationship its inhabitants have formed. With a specialised interest in archaeological, historical, and cultural sites the exhibition portrays a communal sense of spiritual belonging from a wide range of religious beliefs.

EarthSongs takes us on a spiritual journey traversing known and unknown South African landscapes. Paul Weinberg has travelled extensively in and around South Africa which provides his detailed approach to curation. He is also the recipient of many awards including the Mother Jones Award (an essay on the fishing community of Kosi Bay). Weinberg continues to work as a photojournalist, documentary photographer and filmmaker. His latest exhibition EarthSongs is on at The Melrose Gallery, Johannesburg until 05 December 2021.

For more information visit themelrosegallery.com