40 under 40, a young artist showcase in the fairest Cape

Embroidering what has become the de facto Art Month of September in SA is a new artist showcase in the historic grounds of the venerable Twee Jonge Gezellen wine estate in Tulbagh near Cape Town. The 40 under 40 exhibition brings together 60 works by 40 artists, all under the age of 40, across seven indoor and outdoor sites on the estate, from September 25 to February 28, 2022.

The estate is home to well-known local MCC brand Krone, who have established a collaboration with edgy contemporary Cape Town gallery WHATIFTHEWORLD. The two organisations have run a collaborative gallery on the estate since 2018, which forms one of the sites for what promises to be an intriguing platform for emerging and more established young artists.

The show runs for six months, unusually for the local commercial art world, and features selected works placed together in curatorial conversation and created largely during the various lockdowns of the pandemic. The art on show spans the gamut of mediums, including painting, photography, sculpture, murals, video, mixed media, and installation. There is also an interesting pan-African feel to the selected artists, with representation from Lakin Ogunbanwo (Nigeria), Stephané Edith Conradie (Namibia), and Ronald Muchatuta (Zimbabwe), among others. Works to look out for include oil paint and plaster sculptures by Mia Chaplin, exquisitely rendered beadwork sculptures by Asemahle Ntlonti in collaboration with Noxolo Dyosi and Pumla Lempuku, delicate pencil drawings by Dada Khanyisa, and paintings by provocateur Callan Grecia.