I went in early to see the floor & see what attracts my eye immediately. As you walked into the fair, you are greeted by the work of Zanele Mohulu & Terence Maluleka who are rockstars in the art community. I also noticed the textile work, lots of different kinds of fabric made from a variety of materials into very detailed and complex pieces of art.
I had a huge meeting with the Africa Collect Team lead, Sarah who gave us a generous hour of her time talking to us about some of the more complex details that we need to engage with when looking at art work to collect. We also had a frank conversation about women in the art industry and what WomEng calls “the missing middle”, in art schools much like in engineering schools a lot of women graduate in fine arts but tend to fall of the industry as they hit their child bearing ages & for various other access/ religious & community based issues.
This is why I have decided to focus on two significant features of the fair that spoke to me as an African trying to see themselves through the complex eye of a creative person with a paint brush, time, concept, & textiles.
The work from different African countries helped me to develop an understanding for what is seen and collected as contemporary and prestigious in other African countries that may be emerging in their art scenes. The second feature was the work of African women pushing the envelope, and closing the gaps in this male dominated industry.
I met with a Ndebele artist called Zana Masombuka “Ndebele Superhero”, whose work is primarily a mixture of beading, photography, Sculpture & Film. I was so shocked to hear she is from Sinyabuyiswa in Mpumalanga and she mentioned so many accolades in the few minutes we spoke I was taken aback. I am from Mpumalanga myself but I have not been exposed to Ndebele work other than the Ndebele’s of Zimbabwe (who are Zulu’s between us). I loved her work. I took a few images for you here below.
Then I bumped into The Mary Sibande & Lawrance who are working on the “Occupying the Gallery” mission to empower younger creatives to have access to the gallery spaces. They basically had a large book showing different artists on each page which was a brilliant way to maximize the exhibition space that was given to them. I almost died when Mary Sibande said she was a Swati lady from Barberton . The wild thing is I don’t know of one gallery in Mpumalanga but look at the talent the province has exported. I am building one asap!
I first met her work in Cape Town & after seeing the work of Picasso at Museo Picasso Málaga a few years ago, and her offering pushed the envelope in reimagining black women. It’s actually the moment African art became a real sport for me. They were showing 4 emerging artists & we had a conversation about collecting art as a form of investment from the early stages of an artists life. The event peaked here for me of course. What was most interesting was for the first time in my work with ngunitribe, I was asked to introduce and explain what the site was for & I stumbled my way through it but I appreciated being mentored in the space which was meant for people like me.
There was also a lady in the gallery with these beautiful black faces emerged on different sticks , platforms and woven fabrics which screamed blackness and boldness. I didn’t get an opportunity to chat with her but her work is most provocative in a manner that elevates the faces of black women quite literally. Cow Mesh, Kgaogelo Mothepa Mashilo is bold and unapologetic which attracted people to her stand but mostly to her work. There was also artists represented from the Open Studios , Mummy Khumalo who specializes in “tities”, the inner membranes of breasts in her work.
A few other African countries were exhibiting as well . My favorite was Kristene Tsala , Windsor Gallery , from Abuja Nigeria. Her work is abstract but so sweet and sentimental. She speaks to human connection, conversation , miscommunication, exchange of ideas and expression in such a special way. See her work below.
There was some interesting work from AfriArt Kampela Uganda, Angola with a mixture of textiles, beading and painting & messaging around black womanhood, with women’s breasts covered in leaves as well. I visited Uganda and the art community there is thriving, I have woven baskets from there in my spaza on the site. The work was detailed and showed years of perfection in getting 3 mediums to speak in one image and for all their exhibiting pieces.
I also visited Romeo Mivekannin stand I was drawn to the show of African manhood, one of the paintings was a collage of African men as if standing with each other, and on each other which is so rare to experience in the African communities of South Africa. There was an image of a man in his traditional attire, with his covered in respect and just the level of detail was so enticing.
I also had a good time looking at Thando Phenyane’s offerings, his work is so in your face, demands a conversation & I love work that confronts me like that. He mixes images of snakes ,pigs, rabbits, birds in nests, birds in cages & you can tell its all speaking to the sort of evil that resides in man that some may hide but most use to manage and control corporations & governments throughout Africa and the world at large. Its most riveting.
I also enjoyed seeing the creative process behind the works of Isheanesu Dondo, who draws his work upside down, literally and they turn out into these amazing pieces as if he draws the picture in his head before putting it on paper. His work looks very much like it’s from “abadala” as with most artists , he has a range of spirals , eyes ,suns, solar systems, planets within people , birds listen it gets interesting the more you look at it.
Fabrics were the show stopper of the day. We saw many displays of differently themed fabrics displayed through out the exhibition . I loved the simple white fabrics of Soukaina Joual from Morroco, her work reminded me of “amadoyila” which are these white place mats that you would find in any African home growing up, only hers have a controversial picture woven into the center.
The last piece I want to highlight is this one print called “Ihubo lika Nomkhumbulwane”, by Bheki A Sibiya which is a piece I have appreciated because Nomkhubulwane is a Nguni Goddess that needs more work written about her specifically & I loved to see that young artists are already picturing how she would look as a spirit living amongst us. Her divinity is associated with rain, nature, fertility, and regarded as Mother Earth.
There was tonne’s of work throughout the floor. I could speak for day’s on end about it, I have done a summary video below so you can have a look. This show is a must in your calendar and I hope to see you there next year. It was so much to take in, I will try spend more than two days at the faire next year just to get to know more of the work intimately. But one of my favorite days in 2025 so far !
By Nomathemba Magagula
