Young bloods, big rewards

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Galleries expose you to the best of the best in South African art.

Young artists play a pivotal role in advancing art. These creatives use media like never before. The truth is, the artists’ role is multi-functional now, and in 2018 it is clear that we will see even more from young artists. See their works here.

ABSA ART GALLERY

Gerard Sekoto is widely recognised as the pioneer of black South African art. He changed the narrative of how the work of black South African artists would be perceived, valued and documented. It was for these reasons that the Absa L’Atelier awards honoured the artist’s legacy by introducing the Gerard Sekoto Award in 2004 – an accolade bestowed on the most promising emerging artists to enter the competition every year.

Now, inspired by Sekoto’s contributions, the Absa Gallery brings together all the Absa L’Atelier Gerard Sekoto Award winners in one exhibition.

Titled A Change in the Narrative, the exhibition explores the winning artists’ narratives through their work and through the reflective retellings of their thoughts and experiences since winning the award.

Paul Bayliss, Absa Art and Museum curator, says: “The exchange of narratives is an innately human activity and a key component in the sharing of meaningful human experiences. Sekoto’s work drew heavily from the value of the narratives around him.

“It is this dedication to the value of the narrative, especially the artist’s narrative, that is a key part of the ethos of the award. As such, A Change in the Narrative is a celebration of the award’s value.”

The artists participating in the exhibition include Belinda Zangewa, Lawrence Lemaoana, Nomusa Makhuba, Nina Barnett, Retha Ferguson, Nyaniso Lindi, Bongumenzi Ngobese, Isabel Mertz, Bambo Sibiya, Mongezi Ncaphayi, Mbavhalelo Nekhavhambe, Natalie Moore, Matete Motubatse and Banele Khoza.

The exhibition will be curated by Luyanda Zindela, a young Durban-based artist who won a Merit Award in 2014.

As part of his prize, Zindela attended an art residency at, and became a fellow of the Ampersand Foundation in New York in 2015.

Zindela holds a BTech Degree in Fine Art and is currently studying towards his Master’s at the Durban University of Technology. Although he has participated in numerous national exhibitions, A Change in the Narrative marks his curatorial debut.

“Being presented with such a massive curatorial opportunity not only exemplifies Absa’s continued value and support for the unearthing of young, creative, African talent through the Absa L’Atelier art competition but also exemplifies their continued dedication to investing in and nurturing the careers of the artists that emerge as a result of the competition,” Luyanda says.

The award was introduced with the objective to support the most promising emerging young South African artists with the opportunity to live, work and experience Paris at the Cite Internationale des Arts for three months.

This accolade is hosted and awarded in collaboration with the Alliance Française, the French Institute, French Embassy in South Africa and the South African National Association for the Visual Arts (Sanava).

It is an award that has not only provided the winning artists with a launch pad for their careers, but has also had a hand in nurturing and shaping of their personal and artistic narratives.

“We strive to share the best of French and francophone culture with South Africa and to promote South African artists on the international scene,” says Marian Claudel of the French Institute.

This exhibition is an important milestone in our endeavours to strengthen creative exchanges between South Africa and France.

“For over a decade we have been supporting these artists by sending them on a three-month residency in Paris at the Cité des Arts and then organising a touring solo exhibition throughout the country,” says Claudel.

“All these artists are links between our countries and audiences.”

PRETORIA ARTS ASSOCIATION

The Pretoria Arts Association has its annual members’ exhibition in its Mackie Street gallery from Friday to February 10.

The exhibition promises to present a delightful collection of works, some by our most wellknown artists and others by upcoming young ones and inspired beginners.

It offers an excellent opportunity for art lovers and collectors to acquire some really special works at affordable prices.

An exhibition of hand-painted ceramic plates by Francke Gretchen Crots, merit award winner of the 2017 Sasol New Signatures Art Competition, will take place in the Galerie Chaton at the same time.

The exhibition will be opened by Pieter van Heerden, director of the Association of Arts Pretoria, on Friday