HOLD ME SAID THE EARTH (Origins Centre Museum, Johannesburg)

14 Nov - 14 Feb

Ann Gollifer

Born in 1960 in remote Guyana to British and Warao-Arawak parents, and based in Botswana since 1985, Ann draws deeply on the rich materialities of nature to explore the relationship between identity and place. She is known for her use of the natural ochres of Botswana, found in soils and stones, as a water-based painting medium.

She was taught the practice of processing these earth pigments into paints by a traditional Motswana painter and healer from Mochudi, south east Botswana, Mma Motsei Nkwemabala. This labour-intensive process involves grinding and then dissolving the powdered pigments in water and gum arabic, evaporating off the water, and then painting with them just as one would work with watercolour paints

Beyond the Board (Johannesburg)

6 Nov - 6 Dec

Raymond Fuyana

As a member of the Deaf community, Surrealist painter Raymond Fuyana (b. 1995, Zimbabwe) finds games to be a powerful equalizer between the deaf and the hearing. Strategic games like chess and board games, with their reliance on visual elements and interactive mechanics, dismantle barriers, allowing for meaningful interactions that transcend spoken language.

The concept of ‘beyond the board’ extends far beyond the realm of games. In his art, Raymond employs doors as a metaphor to visually represent playfulness and chance, and his ability to gain access or be denied entry to various levels. His paintings transform these themes into vivid dreamscapes, where imagination and reality intertwine in a vibrant interplay of colour and form, and where there are no limitations on time or space.