Everard Read Cape Town Gallery | Uhambo Iwami by Vusi Khumalo
Uhambo lwami: Vusi Khumalo Captures the "Terrible Beauty"
Everard Read proudly presents ‘Uhambo lwami’, a powerful exhibition of recent works by South African artistic stalwart, Vusi Khumalo. Marking his 14th solo show with the gallery over three decades, Khumalo continues to mesmerize with his unflinching eye for composition, colour, and rhythm.
Driven by the ethos of "recording tomorrow’s history today", Khumalo delves into the complexities of his lifelong muse: the ‘terrible beauty’ of South Africa's informal settlements. Witnessing their raise following the dismantlement of apartheid’s ‘Group Areas Act’, Khumalo saw these burgeoning spaces as symbols of both hope and desperation.
As Khumalo himself wrote in 1996: ‘We are Shacks – Singamatyotyombe / And we are here to stay / For poverty is our permission for existence.’
His genius lies in crafting exquisite artworks that seduce the viewers into confronting the intricate realities of life within these now-normalized landscapes. His meticulously detailed compositions, once depicting anomalies, now reflect the entrenched ‘formal informal settlements’ that define South African life. As these spaces grow denser, Khumalo's perspectives distort, mirroring the claustrophobia and chaos experienced by residents.
Much like South African Jazz, Khumalo's art acts as collector and storyteller of lived experiences. He distills moments of misery and dignity, chaos and harmony, displacement and unwavering ownership. Art historian Hazel Friedman, in 2005 catalogue foreword, aptly describes his work as ‘immediacy, history, and prophecy... uncomfortable reminders of a legacy of dispossession.’
Khumalo eschews romanticized portrayals of poverty. He imbues his narratives with a raw, documentary-like quality, avoiding sentimentality or didacticism. The figures within his ‘informal-scapes’ stand neither idealized nor individualized, yet their resilience in the face of hardship shines through. Washing lines and gardens becomes subtle reminders of life persisting despite challenges.
‘Seventeen years later,’ states curator Charlse Shields (2022), ‘not much has changed except the intensification of the same.’
Despite his seventies, Khumalo remains a creative force driven by a love for observation, craftmanship, family, yoga, walking and jazz. The scars of struggle, exile, and homecoming are interwoven within an undimmed optimism, boundless creativity, and a deep appreciation for simplicity. His unwavering dedication to reflecting the human condition solidifies his status as a national treasure.
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