Father figures: Lusanda Ndita with one of his works which deal with absent dads.
Lusanda Ndita wins prestigious award
JJohannesburg-based visual artist Lusanda Ndita, a member of Occupying The Gallery, has been crowned the 2024 Absa L’Atelier Gerard Sekoto Award winner.
Known for work rooted in domestic archives, such as photo albums and oral histories, Ndita reimagines absent father figures, crafting silhouettes that restore their influence and presence.
In his acceptance speech, Ndita thanked his ancestors, Absa and the French Institute for continuing Gerard Sekoto’s legacy.
His win secures a three-month residency at Paris’s prestigious
Cité internationale des arts.
French Ambassador David Martinon praised all the finalists, emphasising the award’s role in supporting artists’ perseverance and growth.
Celebrating 20 years, the Absa L’Atelier Gerard Sekoto Award highlights South Africa’s creative excellence, marking a unique cultural-private sector partnership.
Exhibition looks at history through fashion
Dive into the intersections between memory, resistance and preservation with Fashion Accounts, on at Museum Africa in Joburg.
Curated by Wanda Lephoto, Erica de Greef and Alison Moloney, this thought-provoking exhibition examines the colonial legacies embedded in museum collections while reimagining history through dress.
Featuring new works by The Sartists and Mimi Duma, alongside pieces by Thebe Magugu and Sindiso Khumalo, Fashion Accounts confronts biases in ethnographic and fashion archives.
The museum’s Bernberg Costumes & Textiles Collection, housing more than 16 000 European-centric objects, serves as a backdrop to explore gaps in representation and amplify Afrocentric narratives.
“Fashion can be a tool of colonialism, but also a site for liberation,” notes Moloney.
The exhibition runs at Museum Africa in Newtown until 28 February.
SA Clay Awards debuts at Rust-en-Vrede gallery
On show: Melissa Barker’s work titled Dissillience
The Rust-en-Vrede Gallery + Clay Museum celebrates the richness of South African ceramics with the inaugural SA Clay Awards, on display until 7 December.
Marking the gallery’s acceptance as an affiliate member of the International Academy of Ceramics, this biennial exhibition showcases the top 50 pieces chosen from more than 500 entries, highlighting the breadth and creativity of local ceramic artistry.
Curated by renowned ceramicist Hennie Meyer, it balances functional, sculptural and contemporary clay works, representing diverse talents, from established artists to emerging voices.
The prize money is shared equally among the finalists, underscoring the collective spirit of the craft.
The exhibition is on at Rust-en-Vrede in Durbanville. Entry is free.