We're thrilled to announce that the grand opening of the new venue for Berman Contemporary is right around the corner. We can’t wait to open our doors and welcome you into our new space. Location and Date to be announced soon!

Your support during this transitional phase has meant the world to us, and we want to express our sincere appreciation to all of you.

THE 2020s: new forms of abstraction – part 2

Amogelang Maepa, Athenkosi Kwinana, Chrisél Attewell, Cow Mash, DuduBloom More, Hazel Mphande, Katlisho Tleane, Kutlwano Monyai, Lee-At Meyerov, Mellaney Roberts, Natalie de Morney, Odette Graskie, Paballo Majela and Pia Truscott

25 November 2023 - 25 February 2024
Held at Berman Contemporary

New forms, new ideas, new associations.
New worlds, new perspectives, new layers.

The exhibition THE 2020s: new forms of abstraction – part 2, serves as a springboard for a new, young generation of South African visual artists who are investigating abstraction as a more global and nomadic art style, and shifting our gaze. One can sense that new life is blossoming within this early 2020s art movement, which has recently paid more attention to figuration. As these artists create a new visual language, they also contribute significantly to broadening the parameters of Contemporary African Art. They resist the pigeonholing of African Art on a global scale and seek to establish as an equal partner in dialogue with other cultural geographies of the world.

Curated by Els van Mourik

ART COLOGNE | 2023

SAVE THE DATES: 16 to 19 November 2023

With just less than a week to go, Berman Contemporary is pleased to present the works of three female artists: Amogelang Maepa, Chrisél Attewell and Lee-At Meyerov at ART COLOGNE, held at Koelnmesse, Cologne, Germany. You can find Berman Contemporary's booth at stand A302 in Hall 11.2. We look forward to welcoming you there.

ART COLOGNE is the world's oldest existing fair for the visual arts born in the 20th and 21st centuries. Around 200 international galleries show their works of art, including paintings, sculptures, photographs, prints, multiples, installation, performance and video art. The origins of today's ART COLOGNE started in the year 1967 when the Cologne-based gallery Hein Stünke and Rudolf Zwirner initiated the first Cologne Art Fair.

PREVIEW
ART COLOGNE | ARTSY

10 November to 22 December 2023

Berman Contemporary is pleased to provide you with an exclusive sneak peek of the upcoming works that will take centre stage at Art Cologne. The works by Amogelang Maepa, Chrisél Attewell, and Lee-At Meyerov are now available for viewing on Artsy.

To stay updated on their latest works, we encourage you to follow these artists on Artsy. This way, you'll be among the first to know about any new works

1-54 LONDON | OVERVIEW

We deeply appreciate the support and the engagement we received during the fair. Your presence, whether physical or virtual, played a significant role in our participation at 1-54 London. The encouragement, interest, and enthusiasm that was shown for the works of our artists provided valuable motivation and validation for us and the artists.

Berman Contemporary presented the works of four female artists: Athenkosi Kwinana, DuduBloom More, Cow Mash, and Hazel Mphande at this year's 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, which was hosted at Somerset House, London.

This year's fair was the largest to date, featuring 62 international exhibitors from more than 30 countries and showcasing the works of over 170 artists, each offering a unique perspective and artistic expression. We were genuinely excited about this year's fair and were delighted to have you there with us.

Explore more on our website.

SOMETHING GOOD STUDIO & BERMAN CONTEMPORARY

DESIGNER BLANKET FEATURING COW MASH

Something Good Studio and Berman Contemporary have come together and collaborated on this limited-edition artist blanket, featuring one of our represented artists - Cow Mash.

Each blanket is a bespoke design, signed by the artist, and made with the utmost care. Crafted from heavy-weight, 100% cotton, and proudly made in South Africa, this piece measures 180 x 140 cm.

"Something Good Studio work with artists and designers who communicate strong positive messages via their work in creation of stand-out textile pieces for life.

In community, we use art and design to encourage well-being, happiness and purpose. We aim to make a gentle, positive impact in the lives of our clients and collaborators, and in the process leaving the world a better place." - Something Good Studio

The blankets are available through Berman Contemporary, please email gallery@bermancontemporary.co.za for more information and pricing.

ATHENKOSI KWINANA

Arthaus Artist Residency presents NDIJONGE by Athenkosi Kwinana
20 - 28 October 2023

The exhibition aimed to stimulate deeper awareness that can help address the lack of research, social justice, policies and practices relating to Albinism in South Africa and the greater world. My work signals urgent challenges regarding the need for equality and inclusivity of PLWA in South Africa, Africa and the greater world, and the need to reimagine PLWA in the visual-cultural, and educational sector.

“Ndijonge focuses on themes of the representation of the primarily black (albinotic) body, (as a black PLWA I believe I have more knowledge on the subject) in South African visual art, with aspects regarding human rights, power, visibility and such notions of identity as self-acceptance and self-othering, related to PLWA. In creating my artworks, I referred to drawing as the main medium here in Cuba. I have chosen to use this medium due to its unique, and therapeutical nature and, because it is a graphic medium, as a result this allows me as a visual activist to make graphic statements.

This body of artworks created over a period of eleven weeks here in La Habana, examined the creation of portraiture; on technicalities such as lighting, iconography, symbolism and as a catalyst for change. Prime and prominent examples are the portraits of front runners Fidel Castro and Che Guevara which were prevalent in 1958/9- ... as seen on posters, prints and murals, and till this day are still popularly associated with the searched word “Cuba”... because of this observations of Cuban history, I have noticed that images have played a vital role during the country’s transition …into the raise of what we know today as the Cuban Revolution.

In the process of creating these works I have been influenced by Cuban visual artists Jose A. Figueroa, Alberto Korda and Liborio Noval. My choice of small-scale portraits adopts Figueroa’s use/of the gaze which emphasises the unique message underscoring each portrait respectively. Korda’s technique can be observed in how I have incorporated the element of light, in the coloured drawings this evokes emotion and creates textured impression for the observer. I further employ Noval’s method of creating close-up imagery that emphasises the gaze, in doing so I highlight notions of power, visibility and inclusion of PLWA as a way of drawing attention to their human rights.” – Athenkosi Kwinana

CHRISÉL ATTEWELL

Bodhi Khaya Artist Residency

“I came to Bodhi Khaya without a fixed plan of what I wanted to create. I only felt that it must be something that responds to this particular landscape - directly. Further, I was hoping for collaboration opportunities with other artists on the residency. The experience ended up being just that, and so much more.

The residency started with a wayfarer’s exploration of the landscape. Initial days were dedicated to wandering, sensing, listening, feeling, and absorbing. I found resonance with the flowing rivers, the Milkwood forest, and the fields of grasses and wildflowers, but what captured me most was the quarry. From the moment I touched the clay-rich soils and rinsed my hands in the pond reflecting the sky, I knew I would spend a lot of time here. I returned the following days, collecting fallen clay ‘stones’ from the quarry walls. I meditatively separated the layers into red, yellow, and white. Breaking the stones into finer pieces, I soaked them in buckets. Lastly, I transferred the mixture into pillowcases to drain overnight, yielding malleable clay.

Spending time with the clay was like sitting with history. The geological time of its existence made my own feel brief. Contemplating humanity's fleeting presence on Earth and the exploitation of this resource-laden land, I recognised the weight of history within the clay and within these lands. This weight grew heavier as I pondered the future, both social and environmental. The clay's heaviness felt similar to that of the stone in my stomach as I considered these matters. Having the clay, this history, in my hands, I considered the power I have to shape it, to transform and influence its possible futures.

Throughout the residency, I worked on a photographic and video series titled Weight/Wait (2023), and a collaborative performance titled Touching Clouds (2023). These works represent the initial stages of a larger project that I intend to develop further in the coming months. Both works are rooted in the clay sourced from the quarry and explore our deep interconnectedness, both physical and spiritual, with the Earth and one another.” – Chrisél Attewell

ODETTE GRASKIE

Helpmekaar Kollege - Jury and Speaker

“In October, I was invited to serve as a juror for a children's art competition organized by Die Pos newspaper in Bela-Bela, in collaboration with actress Lara Lourens. It proved to be an enjoyable and deeply meaningful experience, as it allowed us to witness the abundance of potential and talent shining through children of all age groups, particularly in a more rural area.

Additionally, I had the privilege of being the opening speaker at the Matric Art Exhibition held at Helpmekaar Kollege in Braamfontein the day before the works were to be evaluated for their final grades. I was highly impressed by the dedication and the innovative ideas that the students had poured into their creations. An added delight was discovering my own artwork featured in their visual journals.” – Odette Graskie