Renowned artist Vuyo Mabheka is among the fifteen chosen to showcase their innovative photography at the prestigious Salon Approche Art Fair in Paris. The fair is unique due to its curation approach, presenting each piece of art as a solo showcase for a level of intimacy and concentration unmatched by other events. Mabheka’s solo exhibition will feature his “Popihuise” series, an amalgamation of childhood memories and experiences that reflects his personal journey and cements him as a rising star in contemporary art.
What is Salon Approche Art Fair?
Salon Approche Art Fair is a top tier European event that showcases artists who have reimagined traditional photography with their inventive techniques. The fair stands out due to its curated approach and exhibition design, where each art piece is presented as a solo showcase, guaranteeing a level of intimacy and concentration missing in many standard art fairs.
Accomplished regional talent, Vuyo Mabheka, has been singled out as one of the chosen fifteen to have their work showcased at the esteemed Salon Approche Art Fair in Paris— a top tier European event that attracts modernist photographers and artists. Mabheka, who has gained acclaim for his gripping “Popihuise” series, which clinched the prestigious Images Vevey 2023/2024 special jury award recently, is set to display his work in a solo exhibition, in collaboration with Afronova Gallery.
Inaugurated in 2017, the Salon Approche Art Fair stands out due to its curated approach to showcasing artists who have tested the limits of traditional photography and have reimagined the craft through their inventive techniques. What sets this art fair apart is its exhibition design. Each art piece is presented as a solo showcase, lending each artist’s work an individual spotlight for nuanced appreciation and contemplation. This guarantees a level of intimacy and concentration that is missing in many standard art fairs.
Born in 1999 in Libode, Eastern Cape, South Africa, Mabheka set his foot in the realm of photography in 2017, under the guidance of the Of Soul and Joy project. This initiated an exceptional artistic path that eventually led to him joining Afronova Gallery as a represented artist earlier this year.
Mabheka’s extraordinary series, “Popihuise” — a Xhosa dialect translation of the Afrikaans phrase for doll’s house, is a profound amalgamation of memories, experiences, and childhood playthings. These images strike a stark juxtaposition between the purity of youth and the stark realities of existence, effectively expressing Mabheka’s personal story and trials.
The series incorporates a blend of childhood photos, sketches, and photo collage, weaving together a mesmerizing array of art and installations. The integration of these components pays tribute to ‘Umkokotelo’, a slang term used to characterize reinvented structures. Hence, Mabheka’s work narrates his intricate childhood experiences and how they influenced the formation of his identity within his family and social settings.
Jabulani Dhlamini, Mabheka’s mentor and project manager of Of Soul and Joy, succinctly encapsulates the core of Mabheka’s work, “Vuyo’s images strongly portray the effects of solitude on his creativity, as someone who grew up without a father and lived with a working mother.”
Mabheka is no novice to public exposure. He has regularly engaged in group exhibitions, including ‘In Thokoza: Place of Peace’ at the Stop Sign Gallery in Johannesburg (2019), and ‘Inganekwane’ at Constitution Hill (Johannesburg, 2021) and NWU Gallery (Potchefstroom, 2022).
As the Salon Approche Art Fair concludes in Paris this Sunday, Vuyo Mabheka’s work stands as an affirmation of his personal journey and unique artistic perspective. His artwork reflects more than just his history; it underlines his tenacity and creativity, establishing him as a promising talent to keep an eye on in the realm of contemporary art.
Salon Approche Art Fair is a top tier European event that showcases artists who have reimagined traditional photography with their inventive techniques. The fair stands out due to its curated approach and exhibition design, where each art piece is presented as a solo showcase, guaranteeing a level of intimacy and concentration missing in many standard art fairs.
Vuyo Mabheka is an accomplished regional talent from Libode, Eastern Cape, South Africa, who has gained acclaim for his gripping “Popihuise” series. He is set to display his work in a solo exhibition at the esteemed Salon Approche Art Fair in Paris in collaboration with Afronova Gallery.
“Popihuise” is a Xhosa dialect translation of the Afrikaans phrase for doll’s house, which is an extraordinary series by Vuyo Mabheka. It is a profound amalgamation of memories, experiences, and childhood playthings, incorporating a blend of childhood photos, sketches, and photo collage, weaving together a mesmerizing array of art and installations.
The “Popihuise” series pays tribute to ‘Umkokotelo’, a slang term used to characterize reinvented structures. Hence, Mabheka’s work narrates his intricate childhood experiences and how they influenced the formation of his identity within his family and social settings. The images strike a stark juxtaposition between the purity of youth and the stark realities of existence.
Mabheka set his foot in the realm of photography in 2017 under the guidance of the Of Soul and Joy project, initiating an exceptional artistic path that eventually led to him joining Afronova Gallery as a represented artist earlier this year. He has regularly engaged in group exhibitions, establishing him as a promising talent to keep an eye on in the realm of contemporary art.
Salon Approche Art Fair stands out due to its curated approach to showcasing artists who have tested the limits of traditional photography and have reimagined the craft through their inventive techniques. Each art piece is presented as a solo showcase, lending each artist’s work an individual spotlight for nuanced appreciation and contemplation. This guarantees a level of intimacy and concentration that is missing in many standard art fairs.
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