Mawande Ka Zenzile at Johannesburg's Stevenson Gallery

Illustration, black background, boy in brown hooded outfit on a bicycle with a front compartment carrying an E.T creature wrapped in a cream blanket

Johannesburg's Stevenson Gallery is currently hosting an eponymous solo show by artist Mawande Ka Zenzile. Pictured: Untitled, 2015

(Image credit: TBC)

By Daniel Scheffler

last updated 22 August 2022

Currently showing at Johannesburg's Stevenson Gallery, 'Mawande Ka Zenzile' is the eponymous South African artist's first solo show in the city; one through which Ka Zenzile aims to interrogate a number of ever-present political and social issues – racism, capitalism and colonialism.

'Primarily, my artistic process is driven by a desire to make or realise artistic forms; this new body of work engages my practice of using art as a medium to think and to connect dots,' explains the artist. This exhibition sees the continuation of Ka Zenzile’s use of cultural references to confront history, economic systems and political ideologies. 'For me, art becomes a space for contemplation where new allegories meet the old ones and out of this fusion I develop different ways to expose how power works in our society and histories,' he says.

Ka Zenkile uses iconographic images by borrowing them from their original context to convey hidden meanings about the complex nature of our society – incorporating materials such as cow dung and earth on canvas, sticks, stones and mud bricks across a body of work consisting of painting, sculpture and performances (including music by Larissa Johnson, among others).

Prior to the current show, Ka Zenzile previously won the 2014 Michaelis Prize from the prestigious Michaelis School of Fine Art in Cape Town and has since exhibited globally.

Illustration of a figure wearing a brown cape and hat, blue shaded background with a thin green line — The show intends to interrogate political and social issues including racism, capitalism and colonialism. Pictured: *Portrait of Darwin*, 2015

Illustration, grey silhouette figures mingled together in a line, on a brown shaded background — Zenzile incorporates unconventional materials such as cow dung and earth on canvas, sticks, stones and mud bricks into his work. Pictured: *Trap I*, 2015

Illustration, top half rustic colour background, bottom half rust colour merged into a green/ grey background with the word 'chicken' wrote in blue — He also uses iconographic images by borrowing them from their original context.... Pictured: *Chicken*, 2015

Illustration, top half rustic colour background, bottom half rust colour merged into a green/ grey background with the word 'Egg' wrote in blue — *...* conveying hidden meanings about the complex nature of our society. Pictured: *Egg*, 2015

Illustration, brown background, white hooded figure with black eye holes, greyish/ brown arms and legs, clasped hands and large boots on feet — 'For me, art becomes a space for contemplation where new allegories meet the old ones and out of this fusion I develop different ways to expose how power works in our society and histories,' he says. Pictured: *A girl with a hoody*, 2015

Illustration, brown background, words 'The will' wrote in white/ yellow colour — Prior to the current show, Ka Zenzile previously won the 2014 Michaelis Prize from the prestigious Michaelis School of Fine Art in Cape Town. Pictured: *The Will*, 2015

INFORMATION

'Mawande Ka Zenzile' is on view until 11 March. For more information, visit the Stevenson Gallery's website (opens in new tab)

ADDRESS

Stevenson Gallery
62 Juta Street
Johannesburg, 2001

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Daniel Scheffler is a storyteller for The New York Times and others. He has a travel podcast with iHeart Media called Everywhere (opens in new tab) and a Substack newsletter, Withoutmaps (opens in new tab), where he shares all his wild ways. He lives in New York with his husband and their pup.