Conrad Botes | The Anatomy Lesson

131 A Gallery is pleased to present ‘The Anatomy Lesson’ a solo exhibition of paintings, photo drawings, silkscreen prints and sculpture by acclaimed South African artist Conrad Botes. This is his first solo exhibition at 131 and 21st solo overall in his career. The online exhibition will be live on our site from the 11th of December until the 21st of January and the works will be up at the gallery from Saturday the 11th of December.

Starting from the time of the Roman crucifixions, and placed in popular culture throughout modern history and more recently in an impactful experience that the artist recalls from the late 80s in South Africa where fallen MK (Mkhonto weSizwe) soldiers were prominently displayed on the Apartheid government news. Images of dead bodies have been used throughout history as a tool for political and religious propaganda. Throughout the last two decades, Conrad Botes has been recording many of these images by means of sketchbook drawings in an attempt to gather evidence and material for this ongoing study of state-sanctioned shock-imagery used in the mainstream media throughout the ages.