Origin Art | Last Days in the Sun

Origin Art is pleased to present Last Days in the Sun. 

"Nature is not what it seems but what we perceive. In the shadows of our ambitions and dreams, lies a sun setting on the worlds we've known and the worlds yet imagined."

In a world where the conceptual spaces of art and the ever-advancing pace of technology merge, Origin Art presents Last Days in The Sun. The exhibition is a nuanced interplay between two contemporary artists, Bevan de Wet and Catherine Ocholla, whose individual mediums of expertise converge to probe the boundaries of our shifting perceptions about the environment, space, and time.

Bevan de Wet, a master printmaker, plunges into the intricacies of imaginary landscapes and spatial planes. Drawing inspiration from our evolving connection with the natural world, de Wet's work is a poignant study in the reconstruction of geographical contexts. With techniques employing artificial intelligence, he manifests images that challenge and dismantle historically colonialist mappings. His commitment to paper - both as a medium for etching and as a canvas created from scratch at the Phumani Archive Mill - serves as a testament to his intricate relationship with the material world. Every print, drawing, and installation captures the essence of fleeting moments, challenging viewers to perceive the unseen structures we impose on nature.

On the other side of this artistic spectrum, Catherine Ocholla, an exceptional painter, presents her magnificent skyscapes that echo humanity's tumultuous relationship with the
environment. In the vast expanses of her canvases, the sky is not just a mute backdrop but a profound commentary on global challenges such as climate change, land issues, and pollution. Ocholla’s artistry invites us to ponder upon a dystopian future, one where the familiar sky is but a digitized memory, a relic of times when humanity took nature for granted. In her own words, she seeks to capture the "deconstructed shapes of things to come and things that have been."

Last Days in The Sun thus emerges as a cautionary narrative. It is a dialog between the tangible and the imagined, between the known world and its speculative futures. As visitors immerse themselves in the evocative works of de Wet and Ocholla, they will traverse terrains both recognizable and alien, and perhaps leave with a renewed understanding of their place in this vast cosmos.

Join us on this mesmerizing journey, and experience the synergy of two brilliant minds pushing the boundaries of contemporary art, here at Origin Art. This show runs from 14 October to 21 November 2023.