Wild Life — Brett Murray, Norval Foundation, Cape Town
Opening on December 6, the Norval Foundation will present Wild Life, a solo exhibition featuring works by one of South Africa’s most acclaimed artists, Brett Murray.
Murray is known primarily for his steel and mixed-media sculptures, often exploring social and pop culture phenomena, identity politics and South Africa’s political landscape with satirical critique.
Curated by Karen Nel, Wild Life showcases an array of marble and bronze sculptures of animals, using the animal world as a mirror for human behaviour. Primates, elephants, bulls and fantastical hybrids reflect the country’s political protagonists with humour and empathy.
The exhibition traces the evolution of Murray’s politically charged early works from the 1980s to his more recent reflective and emotional sculptures. “Brett’s sculptures use the language of humour and parody, but beneath that surface lies a profound sense of empathy for the human struggle, for folly, and for resilience,” says Nel.
Wild Life will be on display at the Norval Foundation in Tokai, Cape Town, from December 6 2025 to November 22, 2026. The gallery is open Wednesday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm and Sundays from 10am to 4pm. Admission is R100 for guests aged 18–24 and R200 for South African guests aged 25+, with passes available via Webtickets.
Continuum — Andrzej Urbanski, Everard Read Gallery, Johannesburg
Renowned Polish abstract artist Andrzej Urbanski will present his latest body of work in Continuum at Everard Read Gallery, Johannesburg.
Born in Poland and now based in South Africa, Urbanski is celebrated for his bold, precise abstract paintings and sculptures. Since earning a master of fine art from ECAL University of Art and Design in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 2012, he has exhibited extensively across Europe and South Africa.
Continuum, running until December 12, explores the dualities of masculinity, employing contrasting colour and form to create a dialogue between strength and tenderness.
The exhibition remains on view at Everard Read Gallery, Johannesburg, until December 12, 2025. The gallery is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm, and Saturdays from 9am to 1pm. Admission is free.
Mother. Monster. Stitch. — Hannelie Taute, Berman Contemporary, Cape Town
Berman Contemporary at the V&A Waterfront presents Mother. Monster. Stitch., a monographic exhibition by South African multidisciplinary artist Hannelie Taute.
Taute is best known for her tactile artworks using repurposed rubber inner tubes and hand-stitched embroidery. In Mother. Monster. Stitch., she revisits the family portrait, using discarded rubber, thread and vintage photographs to interrogate domestic archives and challenge traditional portrayals of the feminine.
“Taute’s women pose for the camera while the thread quietly unravels them,” says curator Karolien van Zyl. “What we call monstrous might simply be the truth showing through.”
Mother. Monster. Stitch. will be on display at Berman Contemporary from December 6. The gallery is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm and Saturdays from 9am to 2pm. Admission is free.
Melville Art Mile — Various locations in Melville
Inspired by the popular “First Thursdays”, Melville Art Mile presents a programme of outdoor exhibitions, activations, educational talks, and live music.
Running from 4pm to 9pm from December 4, the event features more than 25 venues and artists across the colourful suburb, including Stokvel Gallery, the Melville Artisanal Market, AA Gallerie, and Studio 79. Curated guided tours and access to local restaurants and cafés enhance the experience.
Melville Art Mile launches on December 4 and stretches from 1st Avenue to 9th Street, Melville, Johannesburg. Participation is free, with guided tours available via Quicket.
Dumalitshona — Madoda Fani, Southern Guild Gallery, Cape Town
Southern Guild presents Dumalitshona, a solo exhibition of ceramic sculptures by Madoda Fani, exploring the balance of weight, form and spirit in tribute to his Xhosa lineage. Dumalitshona, meaning “beyond matter”, reflects the artist’s evolution of traditional Nguni pottery into expressive sculptural forms that oscillate between strength and delicacy.
Fani builds each piece by hand intuitively, allowing the clay to guide its shape, resulting in twisting silhouettes, tripod bases and attenuated necks that at first glance appear like timber or bronze. Across the series, his sculptures convey a quiet rhythm, a meditation on the dialogue between maker and material, while referencing influences from Samurai armour to insect anatomy. Notable works, such as Ntaba zoLundi (“mountain of abundance”), emanate a warrior-like energy, poised between presence and transcendence.
Dumalitshona runs at Southern Guild, Cape Town, until January 29 2026. The gallery is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm and Saturdays from 10am to 2pm.
Mary Sibande x Palesa Mokubung: Sophie’s Closet — Everard Read Gallery, Johannesburg
Mary Sibande and award-winning fashion designer Palesa Mokubung of Mantsho present Sophie’s Closet, a landmark collaboration merging visual art and fashion. Central to Sibande’s practice is her iconic avatar, Sophie, who transforms from the uniform of domestic service into couture splendour, embodying the triumph of reimagined narratives and the audacity of black women’s dreams.
The exhibition showcases a Mantsho collection inspired by the interplay of art and fashion, offering an intimate encounter with the craftsmanship that shapes Sophie’s world. Operatic and transformative, the works celebrate histories confronted and futures reimagined, with Sophie acting as both muse and medium in a dialogue between sculpture, fashion and storytelling.
Sophie’s Closet runs at Everard Read Gallery, Johannesburg, from November 6 to December 12. The gallery is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm, and Saturdays from 9am to 1pm. Admission is free.
Souls Interlude — Curated by Lukhanyo Mdingi, 107 Castle Street, Cape Town
Opening on December 4, Souls Interlude is a sensory exhibition curated by creative director and researcher Lukhanyo Mdingi, exploring the preservation and history of South African jazz during the 1960s and 70s.
The exhibition delves into the lineage of jazz and its interplay with the Black Consciousness movement, highlighting the social and cultural impact of this genre. Drawing on archival material, including Ian Bruce Huntley’s photographic journals (Keeping Time), Souls Interlude captures the beauty, camaraderie and resilience of local jazz artists during apartheid.
Through a combination of archival imagery, instrumental percussion, soundscapes, historical relics, curated literature from Clarke’s Bookshop, and collectable pieces from THEFOURTH Auctions, the exhibition creates an immersive experience celebrating jazz’s legacy and the creative ingenuity of its contributors.
Exhibition Dates:
- Opening Night: December 4, 5pm–8:30pm
- December 5: 10am–4pm
- December 7: 11am–2pm
- December 8: 10am–4pm
- Closing Day: December 9, 10am–4pm
Souls Interlude will take place at 107 Castle Street, City Centre, Cape Town.
