KZNSA Gallery | UKWEMBULWA (The Unearthing)

KZNSA is proud to present Sakhile Mhlongo’s third solo exhibition, Ukwembulwa (The Unearthing).

Mhlongo’s prolific body of work serves as a testament to his unwavering dedication to his artistic practice, and his themes echo those explored in “When We See Us: A Century of Black Figuration in Painting” currently on show at Zeitz MOCAA, Cape Town.

This exhibition emerged as a result of an immersive studio visit organized by former KZNSA Curator, Sumayya Menezes and Executive Director, Angela Shaw in September 2022. During this visit, they were captivated by the abundance and quality of Mhlongo work, envisioning them as an integral part of KZNSA Gallery’s 2023 calendar. I enthusiastically joined this curatorial endeavor this year, engaging with both the artist and the guest curator, Thobeka Bhengu, to ensure the realization of this exhibition. The exhibition comprising over 36 portraits, including preliminary sketches and paintings, forms part of a wave of Black artists expressing themselves through their own lens by means of portraiture.

As a mid-career artist, Mhlongo stands at an intersection of experience and innovation, drawing from rich experience while expanding into new creative realms. As the title suggests, the artist unearths extensive family histories and casts light onto his interpersonal relationships and identity in a powerful series of portraits and self-portraits. When I first encountered Mhlongo’s work I was struck by the intensity of colour that permeated his canvases. This vibrant palette stood in stark contrast to a prevailing trend of monochrome Black portraiture. The intensity of the subjects’ gazes looking back at the viewer evokes powerful notions of memorializing our shared history In this way, a multitude of Black faces, collectively and assertively fixing their gaze upon the observer prompts them to reorient and self-reflect and invites visitors on a visual journey that transcends aesthetics and decries novelty to redefine conventions.

I found myself fascinated by the sole integrated landscape that I encountered within Mhlongo’s studio. This particular landscape prompted me to contemplate its potential as an exploration of the identity of either the artist or the subject, and it left me in awe of how this interplay between genres can serve as a catalyst for re-evaluating conventional categorizations and spark discourse pertaining to the very essence and boundaries of artistic expression. I am intrigued by the only incorporated landscape I witnessed in Mhlongo’s studio; I questioned how this landscape may be an exploration of the artist or sitter’s identity while amazed at how this interplay can challenge traditional categorizations and spark discussions about the definition of art.

KZNSA extends its heartfelt gratitude to Mhlongo for unearthing his unique perspective with us.