Sepideh Mehraban uses primed and raw canvases and allows paint to seep through the material, capturing fragile moments and embodying the ephemeral nature of remembrance. Farsi text adds a graffiti protest to the official histories she contests. Mehraban questions the notion of ‘truth’ in history and offers her art as a further interpretation of others’ chronicles. Her deeply introspective work explores memory and its link to personal histories in contemporary Iran.

Now living in Cape Town, but born in Tehran, Iran, Mehraban has two Masters degrees in Fine Art from the Alzahra University in Tehran and the Michaelis School of Fine Art in Cape Town, South Africa. She has lectured in the Painting Departments at Michaelis and Stellenbosch Universities, worked as a curator, set designer and collaborated on puppeteering projects. She is a PhD candidate at the University of Stellenbosch. Participating in over 40 group exhibitions, her latest one was The Female Line, SMAC Gallery (2019) and her most recent of three solo exhibitions being Until The Lions Have Their Own Historians, The History Of The Hunt Will Always Glorify The Hunter, SMITH Studio, Cape Town (2019). Mehraban’s work is held in a number of private and corporate collections globally.

Sichumile Adam (b. 2001) is an emerging visual artist based in Johannesburg, South Africa. She recently graduated with an honours degree in Fine Arts from the University of Witwatersrand. As a multi-disciplinary artist, Sichumile works primarily with acrylic paint, fabric, and glass beads. Her work uniquely combines contemporary African American and South African imagery to create a landscape that resonates with women across the Black diaspora.

Through curated posing, Sichumile uses the figures in her painting to celebrate and explore womanhood, drawing from both personal and collective experiences as a Black woman. The use of beads and fabric in artwork further celebrates her cultural heritage, adding texture and dimensions to her creations.

This approach also enhances the viewing experience, encouraging viewers to engage with her painting up close and explore the intricate beading styles and techniques. “I enjoy using my art to explore the dynamic social cultures that women share globally, but from a South African context, ” says Sichumile.