Notable art this November

Imvelaphi and These Four Walls — Southern Guild Cape Town

SA ceramic artist Chuma Maweni has pioneered the translation of Xhosa pottery traditions into contemporary collectible design, evolving new typologies of form and applications of scale that are entirely distinct. For his first solo exhibition iMvelaphi, he presents the largest collection of handcrafted furniture, lighting and vessels to date. The body of work meditates on Maweni’s familial and cultural origins, drawing links between the cyclical expansion of life and the spiritual symbol at the heart of his own studio practice.

Nigerian painter Ayotunde Ojo showcases a new series of mixed-media figurative paintings that move between the idea of consciousness and unconsciousness, exploring the liminal qualities of memory and space, dreaming and waking. Rooted in the familiar context of domestic life, Ojo’s paintings expand into emotional and imaginative realms, exploring how these transient moments shape perceptions. This will be the artist’s debut solo exhibition and has its roots in a series of works he completed at Southern Guild’s Guild Residency in Cape Town earlier this year.

• Both exhibitions open on November 14 and run until February 28. The gallery is open Monday to Friday 10am-5.30pm and Saturday 10am-2pm.

Light Blue Violet — Goodman Gallery Johannesburg

Ruby Onyinyechi Amanze presents new work in a solo exhibition Light Blue Violet. Space, architecture and movement are large, thematic building blocks in her drawing practice. Recent exhibitions have seen the artist translate what plays out on the paper surface into the exhibition space. Amanze’s 2022 London exhibition “Duets” was the first crystallisation of this approach, with works that offer dimensions and an understanding of space that positions the artist as a choreographer. The Johannesburg show pushes this exploration further.

• The exhibition is on until November 16. The gallery is open Tuesday to Friday 9am-5pm and Saturday 9am-2pm.

Side Quest — Berman Contemporary SA All Women Art

Odette Graskie’s Side Quest showcases a visual narrative of her natural gravitation towards human connection, play, poetry and curiosity. Layered with an obsessiveness in exploring mediums through portraiture — in this reflective method of making, Graskie shifts towards her own curiosity about her practice (currently and as far as her childhood) as the driving force. The exhibition is curated by Shenaz Mahomed.

• The exhibition is on until January 26. The gallery is open Monday to Friday 9am-5.30pm and Saturday 9am-4.30pm.

Monochrome III: Thank you Gravity — Stevenson Johannesburg

This is the third instalment of artist Zander Blom’s Monochrome Paintings. With this part of the series, she explores gravity in painting, considering the weight or mass of shapes, how they sit on top of one another and how they weigh on or support one another. The body of work is also inspired by a connection with a group of students in Hong Kong, which encouraged her to work differently from how she has before.

• The exhibition is on until December 13. The gallery is open Tuesday to Friday 9am-5pm and Saturday 10am-1pm. Monday by appointment.

What the Light Falls On — Stevenson Cape Town

What the Light Falls On is a solo exhibition by photographer Pieter Hugo. It comprises more than 100 images taken over the last 23 years. With it the photographer presents a meditation on life, his lens delicately focused on birth, death and the rites in between.

• The exhibition is on until November 30. The gallery is open Tuesday to Friday 9am-5pm and Saturday 10am-1pm.