Figures (In) Flux: The Future of Portraiture from Africa

Curated by Nkhensani Mkhari

Eclectica Contemporary is thrilled to present Figures (in) Flux: The Future of Portraiture from Africa, curated by Nkhensani Mkhari.

The delicate interplay between self-perception and external representation forms a critical lens through which artists navigate their creative trajectory. This dynamic not only shapes individual artistic expression but also fuels broader cultural narratives, highlighting the significance of reclaiming the power of self-definition within the art ecology.

Figuration and portraiture by Africans isn’t another museum case. It’s a groove, a sweat, a refusal. Look closer at “(in)Flux”: Is this not the very state of African being – caught between canons, defying categories, always remixing? This isn’t just an exhibition, it’s a staging, artists riffing on self-representation.

This exhibition bids us to contemplate the entanglement between artist and medium, audience and technology, their interplay revealing the hidden harmonies and jarring dissonances within the chorus of human creation. — Nkhensani Mkhari

Participating artists:
Nedia Were, Samson Bakare, Bambo Sibiya, Nene Mahlangu, Desire Marea, Motlhoki Nono, Jakinda Boya, Francesco Mbele, VTSEK Studios, Thando Phenyane, Reef Sithole, Kyu Sang Lee