27 Sept-26 Nov. Rome’s MAXXI Museo nazionale delle arti del XXI secolo presents the first solo show in Italy dedicated to the work of South African artist Kemang Wa Lehulere, the Deutsche Bank’s Artist of the Year 2017.
Featuring installations, videos, paintings, drawings and music, the exhibition focuses on the dialogue between the works of Wa Lehulere and fellow Cape Town artist Gladys Mgudlandlu (1917-1979).
Wa Lehulere draws inspiration from Mgudlandlu who in the 1960s became one of the first black artists to exhibit in a gallery in South Africa. Birds were a frequent motif in her work, earning her the moniker Bird Lady.
Wa Lehulere, who grew up in the same Gugulethu township as Mgudlandlu, uses this project to tackle themes such as history and time, memory and the artist’s role in society.