Southern Guild made its debut at Frieze New York 2025 with a focused group exhibition that placed African and diasporic perspectives at the center of global contemporary art.
The Cape Town-based gallery presented works by Kamyar Bineshtarigh, Alexandra Hedison, Bonolo Kavula, Roméo Mivekannin, Zanele Muholi, Zizipho Poswa, and also Dominique Zinkpè.
Known for championing African art and design, Southern Guild’s appearance at Frieze follows its expansion into the U.S. market, including a new Los Angeles space and recent participation in fairs like Frieze LA, FOG Design+Art, and The Armory Show. Co-founder Trevyn McGowan called the Frieze debut “a major affirmation of our artists’ work and its unique relevance.”
The exhibition explored “representation as an act of agency,” with each artist offering a distinct voice. Zanele Muholi challenged the erasure of Black and queer bodies through lightbox photographs, while Zizipho Poswa celebrated African hair culture with bold bronze and ceramic sculptures.
Kamyar Bineshtarigh evoked memory through layered abstract paintings made from scraped walls. Dominique Zinkpè bridged tradition and modernity with a bronze sculpture inspired by Yoruba twin figures. Roméo Mivekannin reimagined colonial portraits by inserting himself into 19th-century compositions.
Bonolo Kavula used shweshwe fabric to create meditative stitched wall hangings, and Alexandra Hedison contributed atmospheric photographs exploring space and presence.
Southern Guild is a leading contemporary gallery founded in 2008 in Cape Town, now also based in Los Angeles. It showcases art and design from Africa and its diaspora, focusing on themes like identity, ecology, and spirituality. Known for pioneering collectible design in Africa, the gallery represents notable artists such as Rich Mnisi and supports emerging talent through residencies and mentorships. Its artists’ works feature in major museums like the Met and LACMA.
