Pavillon 54 in conversation with collector Liesle Barrath
Joburg-based collector Liesle Barrath takes Pavillon54 on a walk through her private art collection. Housed in her leafy home, it is a cool and eclectic mix of works featuring heavy-hitting names such as Mmakgabo Helen Sebidi and Nandipha Mntambo together with street-art inspired works courtesy of artists Khaya Witbooi and Vusi Beauchamp. Walking through […]
Cape Town Art Fair: A report from Pavillon 54
Celebrating a decade of contemporary South African art, Investec Cape Town opened its doors for its tenth edition. From modest beginnings, it is now generally acknowledged as the largest international contemporary art fair in Africa. The fair focused on the concept of time — the theme was broad, appropriately so as time is all-encompassing of […]
Black History Month Through Art
In the American cultural landscape, the contributions of black American artists are both crucial and significant. This is largely overlooked because of America’s well-documented history of slavery and systematic racism. It is important to mention this because it has affected the way that art, made by black American artists, is viewed and valued so […]
The use of textile in African art and 7 artists that have mastered it
What is defined as textile art is art that uses varying materials and fibers to produce decorative, artistic objects. It’s one of the oldest forms of art in history and has played a part in practical and decorative man-made objects for hundreds of thousands of years. Across the African Continent, textile art has […]
Abstract African Art
It’s important to note that generalisations about the popularity of abstract art in African art and the diaspora can be challenging because artistic preferences and styles are diverse and vary across regions, cultures, and individual artists. However, there are historical and contextual factors that may have influenced perceptions of abstract art in this context. […]
Who is Joy Labinjo?
Who is Joy Labinjo? Lovers, collectors and dealers of African art have a new rising star to keep their eyes on: Joy Labinjo. The British-Nigerian artist, who paints large-scale figurative paintings, often of black individuals, has leapt to rapid success in recent years, known for her talent in capturing sensitive, independent, contemplative, and vulnerable people […]
5 African LGBTQIA+ Artists Making an Impact in the Art World
As Pride Month comes to a close, Pavillon54 highlights five key artists from Africa and the Diaspora who are defying cultural and societal expectations and furthering a progressive, forward-thinking and revolutionary African art movement. Through photography, performance, painting or sculpture—whichever weapon of choice the artists’ choose—each of their practices are dedicated to fighting stereotypes and discrimination against the queer communities in their respective countries, and the world more broadly.
Read on to discover the methods in which these artists and activists use art to bring to light the pain, vulnerability, strength and beauty of queer individuals in Africa and beyond.
Who is Victor Ekpuk?
Who is Victor Ekpuk? Nigerian-American artist Victor Ekpuk has come to acclaim through his unique visual language, which abstracts the ancient Nigerian script Nsibidi and indigenous Uli art forms. By taking these codes and philosophies as the base for his artistic practice, Ekpuk creates his own symbolism that aims to decrypt the truths of the […]
Zaire School of Popular Painting African Modern and Contemporary Art movements: an insight.
‘Popular Painting school’: politically charged art made for the masses in the Democratic Republic of Congo From the late 1950’s, many countries in Africa won their independence back. Lasting almost two decades, Africa’s decolonization was made possible by bold political leadership, public outcry, riots and in some cases, guerrilla-style warfare. In the Democratic […]
Kojo Marfo’s ‘Dreaming of Identity’: “Artworks to create a connection with people, to be a symbol for everyone to relate to”
With his first solo UK exhibition ‘Dreaming of Identity’ at JD Malat gallery, London, Kojo Marfo (b. 1980) explores the theme of identity through his own experience of migration. The artist depicts human figures with references from Africa, representing his roots in Ghana and Akan’s culture, and from the Western world – representing his travel […]