Art and Culture

New exhibition opens at FynArts Gallery

The FynArts Gallery, in collaboration with Lizamore & Associates, will showcase a solo exhibition by Lwandiso Njara entitled Engineering the New Jerusalem II, which opens on Friday 17 August.

Lwandiso Njara’s solo exhibition of drawings, Engineering the New Jerusalem II will open at the FynArts Gallery in The Courtyard on Friday.

Growing up in a traditional Xhosa household, Lwandiso Njara’s Catholic schooling by nuns from India and Switzerland exposed him to different ideologies and technologies. In Engineering the New Jerusalem II, Njara depicts his understanding of a changing identity – as influenced by his upbringing and education. This body of work takes form in pen, graphite & charcoal drawings, and sculptures in PPC cement, resin, animal bone and steel.

The artist portrays a cross-pollinated sense of identity which emerges from the physical hybridity of his sculptures and drawings. “I believe that my work resembles or explores the new contemporary robotic or technological African urban identity,” says the artist. He often blatantly merges polarities in one body through using the lamb, the goat and the cow fused with mechanical gears and engines, all acting as signifiers for the artist’s own hybrid sense of identity.

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Gallery marks a new start

The Courtyard is a delightful space reached by way of a small alley leading off Harbour Road. Here you’ll find several gems tucked away from the hustle and bustle, including four excellent art galleries – Kunskantoor, Geta Finlayson Studio, FynArts Gallery and now also THE StART Gallery, which had its opening on Saturday 11 August. Owned by long-time friends, Theresa le Roux and Annette du Toit, THE StART is a welcome addition to this creative space and a new departure for its owners, who have never run a gallery before – hence the name. The courtyard has been beautified with benches, plants and sculptures, and provides the ideal space for informal parties and gettogethers. Several friends, family members and well-wishers gathered here on Saturday to toast the opening of THE StART. Another exciting business that will be opening soon is The Wine Glass, a spacious wine-tasting venue whose premises front onto Harbour Road and expand all the way down to The Courtyard. This joint venture by partners Brennan Davis, Mark Kahts and Jacques le Roux, who also happens to be Theresa’s husband, will showcase premium wines and craft beers from local producers all the way from Elgin to Agulhas.

Combining art, poetry and coffee

Post@The Courtyard is the venue for a new pop-up exhibition of oil paintings by co-owner Leoni Aucamp, which opened on Women’s Day, 9 August. Entitled Reflections, Leoni says this collection of work is an ‘ode to water’. Except for one larger focal painting, the rest of the exhibition consists of small works that were specifically made for Post’s intimate space. Each painting is accompanied by a poem. Leoni has worked in oils for the past 13 years and as a nature lover, her interest in water and how it moves was inspired by her daily walks by the ocean. “Hermanus has so much to offer,” she says. “My next exhibit will probably be inspired by rock formations or fynbos.” Leoni and her business partner, Carel Kuschke, opened Post less than a year ago. It is a quaint little coffee shop (right next door to THE StART) which promotes the nostalgic custom of writing postcards to loved ones back home or far away, while enjoying their caffeine fix. The artisan brew served at Post is made from single-origin beans from Africa and is popular among locals and tourists alike. At the opening party Ingrid Conlin and Jason Blaauw from Whalehaven were on hand to offer the guests an additional treat in the form of a chocolate and wine pairing. Post@The Courtyard is open Monday to Friday from 08:00 -16:00 and on Saturdays from 09:00 – 14:00. The exhibition runs until 18 August.

Slam poetry festival

Hermanus witnessed its first ever poetry slam event over the long weekend when it was presented at Enlighten Education Trust on 10 and 11 August. Entitled the Imbiza Yochuku Poetry Slam Festival, this event was organised by four young men from Zwelihle – Spiwo Malanjana, Olwethu Mfanakiso, Ronwyn Watala and Khonzie Karim Kibido. Due to all the unrest of the previous weeks, the festival almost did not happen, but thanks to some support from the community it was able to become a reality.

Slam is spoken word poetry, and is closely related to hip-hop or rap, minus the music. It not only sharpens the poet’s skill at manipulating language, but involves rhythm and movement and offers the opportunity for selfexpression and developing self-confidence. The event was a wonderful opportunity for local children and teenagers to discover what poetry slam is and to showcase their talents. Spiwo and his friends would like to hold the festival every year and are hoping that more of the Overberg schools will become involved.

Spiwo Malanjana, one of the organisers (back row sixth from the left), stands with the performers who participated in the festival as well as some of his friends (musicians, judges and a magician) who entertained the spectators in between the poetry performances. Standing, from left are Namhla Phantsi, Sphamandla Booysen (singer from Worcester), Akhona Mosala (aka Moshka the Magician), Asemahle Jonga (won Best Writer), Lihle Cwebeni (won third place for Best Poet), Spiwo, Bongani Madubela (won first place for Best Poet and also the prizes for Outstanding Achievement and Overall Winner), Melihlanga Ntiya-Ntiya (judge from Khayelitsha), Inga Mfundisi (won second place for Best Poet) and Thabang Mbolekwa (beat-boxer from Worcester). In front are Busisiwe Ludwanga, Totyelwa Ngcingi (coach) and Amanda Tyhaliti.