Art in June: 10 exhibitions you cannot miss

These 10 exhibitions showcase the best of the local gallery circuit across the country. From Mary Sibande in Durban, David Koloane and John Phalane in Cape Town and Paul Vorster in Johannesburg, there is something for all discerners.

Talking Back by Rosie Mudge | SMAC Gallery Cape Town

This solo exhibition by Rosie Mudge matches regrets, promises and desperate appeals with empowering affirmations. Lyrics by early-2000s icons such as Britney Spears and NSYNC are quoted and inscribed in smoot glitter gradients.

Address: 

SMAC Cape Town

1st Floor, The Palms, 145 Sir Lowry Rd, Woodstock, Cape Town, 7925

Talking Back opened on May 28 and will run to July 23. The gallery opens from 9am to 5pm on weekdays and 10am to 2pm on Saturdays. It is closed on Sundays.

Onwaarskynlik by Theo Paul Vorster and History Never Says Goodbye by John Davenport | Lizamore & Associates Johannesburg

Onwaarskynlik (Unlikely) is a new solo exhibition by Vorster, who has developed his cutting technique and colour pallet and combines unlikely subjects in surreal and tongue-in-cheek artworks.  The exhibition is a combination of lino blocks, hand-coloured lino prints and monotypes.  Vorster is hosting a one-day linocut workshop on the 4th of June.

John Davenport’s first exhibition books are used as a raw material to tell stories of pain, violence, triumph, irony, trauma and explore the surreal twists and nuances of history.

Address:

Lizamore & Associates Gallery

3 Hetty Avenue, Fairland, Johannesburg

The exhibitions will open on June 4. The gallery opens from 9am to 5pm on weekdays and 10am to 2pm on Saturday, it is closed on Sundays and Mondays.

Ancestors and Dreams | CIRCA Johannesburg

Everard Read and Jacaranda are presenting the finest contemporary art in South Africa with the exhibition, Ancestors and Dreams, in conversation with exceptional pieces of African art. Objects sourced by Jacaranda showcase both the exceptional craftsmanship and the important societal functions of traditional art.

“It is of deep importance to Everard Read that we support and enable African collectors to engage with and acquire fine pieces of traditional African art that compliment and expand contemporary art collections.”

The exhibition can be viewed in its entirety with the complementing traditional works and text here while the contemporary works are exhibited at CIRCA.

Address:

6 Jellicoe Ave, Rosebank, Johannesburg

Ancestors and Dreams opened on May 19 and continues until June 30. The online exhibitions can be accessed at any time, the gallery opens from 9am to 5pm on weekdays and 10am to 1pm on Saturdays. It is closed on Sundays.

Manana, I Wa Nkoka Eka Mina (Mother, You Are So Special To Me) by Phillemon Hlungwani | Knysna Fine Art

Hlungwani, one of SA’s most important artists, shows his enduring command of technique, drafting and his medium. Focusing on his people, his village and the surrounding veld and fields, he explores, with intimacy, the redemptive power of work and its rewards.

Address: 

Thesen House, 6 Long Street, Knysna.

The exhibition opened on May 28 and runs till June 20. The gallery opens at 9am to 5pm on weekdays and 10am to 1pm on Saturdays. It is closed on Sundays.

Nqanda nanga'manzi engene'ndlini by Mawande Ka Zenzile | STEVENSON Cape Town

 The new solo exhibition by Mawande Ka Zenzile comprises new painting, sculpture and installation that journeys into the diverse facets of humanity; transcending limited beliefs of art, philosophy and spirituality.

Address:

Buchanan Building

160 Sir Lowry Road, Woodstock 7925

The exhibition opened on May 14 and will run until June 25. The gallery is open from 9am-5pm Mondays to Fridays and from 10am-1pm on Saturdays.

Let Me Tell You About Red… By Mary Sibande | Durban Art Gallery

The new solo exhibition by Mary Sibande is curated by Gcotyelwa Mashiqa as part of Articulate Africa 2022. Sibandes iconic large scale installations personify the palate of bruises and this time explores the colour red through her alter-ego, Sophie.

Address: 

Second floor of City Hall,Anton Lembede Street, Central Durban.

Let Me Tell You About Red… opens on June 3 and runs until September 30. The Durban Art Gallery is open from Mondays to Saturdays from 8.30am to 4pm; Sundays from 11am to 2pm

Ukuzihlukanisa by Mpumelelo Buthelezi | Bag Factory Artists Studio Johannesburg

The 2021 Cassirer Welz Award winner, Mpumelelo Buthelezi’s solo exhibition Ukuzihlukanisa, curated by Thlalefi Maditsi is supported by Strauss & Co, BASA: supporting grants programme and NAC. Mpumelelo explores self-reflection, identity, and spirituality through photography. Taking inspiration from the isolation of lockdown, portraits of himself and others reflect a need for companionship as he explores the biblical concept of angels.

Address: 

10 Mahlathini Street, Fordsburg/Newtown, Johannesburg

Ukuzihlukanisa opens on June 4 and runs until the end of June. The gallery is open from 9am to 5pm on weekdays and is closed on weekends.

The Stories In-Between By Andrew Ntshabele and Toni-Ann Ballenden | Artyli Gallery Johannesburg

"The Stories In-Between" showcases the artwork of Andrew Ntshabele and Toni-Ann Ballenden and includes a new selection of sculpture by Anton Smit. The stylistic differences of the feature artists creates a dynamic combination as Ntshabele works with figurative imagery Ballenden’s works are deconstructed abstract artworks.

Address: 

Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton

The Stories in Between will run from June 4 to July 28. The gallery is open from 9am-5pm Mondays to Fridays and from 10am-1pm on Saturdays.

Sefapi by John Phalane | WHATIFTHEWORLD Cape Town

John Phalane’s flat and squared representations of urban and residential districts operate in richly textured, multiple dimensions. Sefapi, titled after his grandfather, includes drawings from three series’ made between 2015 and 2022.

Address:

16 Buiten Street Cape Town 

The exhibition opens on June 4 and will run until July 16. The gallery is open from 9am-5pm Mondays to Fridays and from 10am-1pm on Saturdays.

A Quiet Stature by David Koloane | Goodman Gallery Cape Town

A Quiet Stature, an exhibition of works by David Koloane pays tribute to the artist at the third anniversary of his death. His skill and influence as a multidisciplinary artist has a lasting and profound influence on SA’s cultural landscape.

Address: 

37a Somerset Road, De Waterkant, Cape Town

The exhibition opens on June 8 and will run until July 7. The gallery is open from 9am-5pm Mondays to Fridays and closed on weekends.