Matereality: A First Look

Be among the first to experience Matereality II, the Iziko South African National Gallery's major new exhibition exploring the significance of materiality in contemporary artistic practice across Africa. In this expansive exhibition, following on from its first edition, artists transform materials such as soil, cloth, wood, metal, concrete and found objects into powerful reflections on identity, memory, land, belonging and lived experience. Rather than treating materials as simply a means to an end, Matereality reveals how they become carriers of cultural knowledge, personal histories and social meaning, challenging conventional ideas about what art can be made from and what it can communicate.

Curator Andrea Lewis will lead visitors on an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the exhibition, offering insights into its curatorial vision and the ideas that connect the works. She will also be joined by participating artists in conversation, providing a rare opportunity to hear directly from the makers about their creative processes, material choices and the stories embedded within their work.

Lewis will be in conversation with artists Bonolo Kavula and Unathi Mkonto.