Jo’burg Emerging

Boemo Diale Stephen Langa Maja Maljević Phumulani Ntuli Mary Sibande David Krut Artspace, New York is pleased to present an exhibition of new editioned and unique works by Mary Sibande (b. 1982) and Pebofatso Mokoena (b. 1993). Through its work with established, internationally successful artists, Johannesburg’s David Krut Workshop (DKW) is able to support the creative exploration and development of emerging South African artists as well. The New York gallery is approaching its 25th anniversary and has been privileged thus far to act as a launchpad for the international recognition of various African artists. This exhibition aims to continue to educate U.S. audiences on the work of South African artists, bringing together distinct approaches to printmaking to show how artists use the medium to engage with personal, political, and historical themes. In an ongoing woodcut series with DKW, Mary Sibande’s character Sophie, a black South African domestic worker, occupies an imaginative space where she explores luxury and leisure. This new, third woodcut from the series sees Sibande continuing to dress Sophie in Victorian, domestic-inspired dress, here depicting her fanning herself next to an intricately decorated vase of flowers. The woodcut medium brings to mind the long history of relief printing in South Africa and its historical use in resistance against racial oppression. Pebofatso Mokoena’s gestural abstractions reflect on space and movement, layering etching, handwork, and collage to push the print medium into unfamiliar technical and emotional territory. Mokoena’s contribution reflects on space, movement, and contemporary life. By layering colour and mark-making through a combination of etching, handwork, and collage, Mokoena uses the print medium as a form of inquiry, both spatial and emotional. Central to each of these projects is the collaborative role of Master Printer Sbongiseni Khulu, whose skill and sensitivity have helped bring these distinct, complex artistic visions to life. Khulu is in his tenth year with David Krut Workshop, having worked alongside Master Printer Jillian Ross on many editions by William Kentridge, among countless other projects. His practice as a printer spans etching, intaglio, relief, and monotype, and his collaborations with Sibande and Mokoena underscore the strength of the collaborative process at its best. While often invisible in the final work, the presence of the collaborators in the workshop is foundational. Jo’burg Emerging underscores the print medium’s enduring relevance and adaptability and celebrates the collaborative environment of David Krut Arts as a collective of cultural workers. The exhibition works toward our longstanding commitment to supporting artistic development in South Africa and fostering international recognition for African artists.

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