2024 Arts Round Up – ‘rough’ year in Contemporary African Art?

This final 2024 Arts Round Up focuses on a trend for texture in Contemporary African Art – an overview of a ‘rough’ year with some sharp surprises!

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Alexis Perskine

The  1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair at Somerset House, London highlighted this focus on texture and the use of various media, combined with modern technology, to  help create this trend. A case in point is the portrait above by Alexis Peskine using moon gold leaf, paint, varnish and nails on red Cameroonian Parosa wood. The close up shows how nails were used to create this striking portrait.

Not surprising to see this reflected in two of the current exhibitions at Zeitz MOCAA – with MOCAA standing for Museum of Contemporary Art Africa.

Ghanaian-American artist, Rita Mawuena Benissan‘s exhibition One Must Be Seated includes tapestry and sculpture used in amazing ways. Umbrellas with fabrics that are richly textured and and sculptural elements that are tactile. Portraits are made with fabric, providing a velvety look. All this plus new media adding another texture to this excellent exhibition.

UNDERSTUDIES by Nolan Oswald Dennis at Zeitz MOCAA looks at contentious issues of decollonisation, politics and sense of space. Again, textures predominate

At the AVA Gallery, Time As Method by Catriona Towriss looks at rituals of care and ways of being with land and trees, using seed materials woven together. I must admit that I am mad about obsession and these works certainly qualify. This is one of four exhibitions at the AVA Gallery. Fabrics of Society, curated by Nani Mntonintshi  in the Main Gallery is another exhibition where texture is paramount.

Catriona Towriss

Rust-en-Vrede Gallery + Clay Museum, with its focus on ceramics, reflected texture in its current and recent exhibitions. The works in The Cube is a showcase of infinite variations on texture. An example below by Karlien van Rooyen – Diatom Bokeh, that was seen in the Inaugural SA Clay Awards Exhibition last month.

Karlien van Rooyen – Diatom Bokeh

Kalk Bay Modern in their recent Annual Sculpture and Ceramics Exhibition and the current Jewellery & Textile Exhibition, reflects this focus on texture. An excellent destination for a visual treat and exploration of a range of works in a multitude of media

And to end this 2024 Arts Round Up on a high note, congratulations to the Director of Zeitz MOCAA, Koyo Kouoh  for being appointed the Curator of the forthcoming Venice Biennale!

GALLERIES in and around CAPE TOWN

The WHAT, WHY & WHERE of the
arts scene in around Cape Town
see the 2023 art craft + museums map

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Another reason Cape Town is placed 3rd in Time Out’s World’s Best Cities for Culture!