Brett Charles Seiler

Brett Charles Seiler, b.1994, Zimbabwe. Works and lives in Cape Town South Africa. Graduated from The Ruth Prowse School of Art in 2015.

Seiler’s work takes the forms of painting and installations. The use of text and language is critical for Seiler work, often poetic, religious and sediments like a confessional. Dealing with ideas of romantic gestures and sexual interactions, Seiler works dives into historical gay modes of communication and conduct. Bringing forward a collective memory of gay rights movements and focusing on the sexual oppression of gay men. This draws in feelings of longing, distance and nostalgia. Seiler work is often accompanied by performance based works, process works and interventions. Works that ‘queer’ the gallery space, including writings and imagery directly on the walls of the gallery - as a revolt or disobedience. Being from Zimbabwe, Seiler’s work is also highly recognized for questioning gay rights and the current facade highlighting punishment, education, media and the institution.

Solo exhibitions include Macho Man, Tell It To My Heart, 2016 at AVA, Cape Town and More Scared Of What Was In My Closet Than What Was Underneath My Bed, 2018 at CIRCA gallery, Cape Town. Seiler has also been included in various group exhibitions including a performance piece with Luvuyo Nyawose titled Reading Homophobia, 2017, at A4 Foundation curated by Kemang Wa Lehulere and Zipho Dayile.

2015 Graduated from The Ruth Prowse School of Art in Solo Exhibitions 2019 Upcoming solo, SMITH, Cape Town 2018 More Scared Of What Was In The Closet Than What Was Underneath My Bed, CIRCA Gallery, Cape Town 2016 Macho Man, Tell It To My Heart, AVA Gallery, Cape Town Selected Group Exhitions 2019 Emphatic Whispers, SMITH, Cape Town 2019 Winter 2019, Everard Read, Cape Town 2019 Home Affairs, Waterfront Docks, Cape Town 2019 OUTSIDE, Riebeek Kastel Gallery, Cape Town 2018 One Straight Hour performed for The Main Complaint, Zeitz MOCCA, Cape Town 2018 Sunday Service, GUS, Stellenbosch 2018 Unfair, The Ruth Prowse School of Art, Cape Town 2018 The Edge of a Thread, Eclectica Contemporary, Cape Town 2018 Close Encounters, SMITH, Cape Town 2018 Not Really, Previously Known As, Cape Town 2018 Multiplicities Vol1: Continuous Unknowing, Assembly Room, NYC 2017 Closer than Ever, Gallery MOMO, Cape Town 2017 Performance Night, Gallery MOMO, Cape Town 2017 One Week, AVA Gallery, Cape Town 2017 Young Now, Hazard Gallery, Johannesburg 2017 Hold, The Ruth Prowse School of Art, Cape Town 2017 You and I, A4 Foundation, Cape Town 2017 Dislocation, Everard Read, Cape Town 2017 Salon Show, AVA Gallery, Cape Town 2017 ABSA Atelier Top 100 finalists, ABSA Gallery, Pretoria 2016 Falling Into One Another, Ruth Prowse School of Art, Cape Town 2016 New Monuments, Commune.1, Cape Town 2016 Winter Collection, Everard Read, Cape Town 2016 One Zero Seven, 107 Long market Street, Cape Town 2016 The Ties That Bind, Bend, Break, Secret Dungeon, NYC 2016 Lip Service with Khanya Mashabela, Open Dialogue Box, Cape Town 2016 Sorry! Please Try Again, The Palms Center, Cape Town 2016 Reading Homophobia with Luvuyo Nyawose, performance, Gallery MOMO, Cape Town Art Fairs 2019 FNB Art Joburg, SMITH, Johannesburg 2016 Emerging Painters, Turbine Art Fair, Johannesburg Awards and Competitions 2017 ABSA Atelier Top 100 finalists