Southern Guild Gallery is currently hosting two extraordinary solo exhibitions, “Order of Being” by Manyaku Mashilo and “Black Exodus: Summer Departure” by Oluseye. These exhibitions mark a significant cultural and artistic event, drawing researchers and art enthusiasts into deeply introspecting their roots. The exhibitions intertwine African spirituality and mythological narratives to create a futuristic world that exalts these entities as critical factors of our core as living beings.
200 × 140 × 2.5 cm. Image courtesy of Artsy.
In “Order of Being,” Manyaku Mashilo creates artworks that deeply resonate with her Xhosa heritage. She elevates ordinary individuals into transcendent beings through various mediums and styles, becoming key figures in her search for primordial connections. In her ethereal journey, Manyaku Mashilo utilizes red orche, an African pigment traditionally employed in Namibia and other parts of Africa.
This pigment holds significant cultural ties, serving as a natural hair dye and being ceremonially sprinkled on deceased bodies during burials to guide them into the spirit world. The red orche, in this context, serves as a tribute to the earth and soil, inspired by Akan mythology. This mythology intricately links the earth to the powerful goddess Asase Ya/Efua. Her characters, therefore, become transcendent, showcasing a powerful interplay between the past and present.
Through her skilled use of lines on both her muses and canvas, she explores the vibrational essence of music and its role in the imaginative realm she creates, providing a futuristic depiction of various contexts. With this, her work transcends our current reality, transporting audiences into an imaginative future. The artist’s reflection on her creative process adds depth to the exhibition. She emphasizes the complexity of constructing subjects from scratch while addressing issues of skin tones, race, and features. Mashilo’s work becomes a profound study, urging viewers to contemplate their identity, culture, and the lessons embedded in their history.
“I have had to create these subjects from scratch – make skin tones, plan similarities, consider race, exaggerate features – blank my slate while contending with the reality that I cannot unsee or un-know.” – Manyaku Mashilo for Southern Guild gallery.
In essence, Mashilo prompts a deep introspection into our collective identity, urging us to learn from history and cultural heritage. The exhibition becomes a visual narrative, encouraging a holistic understanding of our past for a more enlightened future. “Order of Being” stands alongside “Black Exodus” at Southern Guild, South Africa, from November 23rd to January 25th, 2024. Dive into this immersive exploration of artistic brilliance by visiting the Southern Guild gallery website today.
