Publications
Partners
Artist William Kentridge and company are still claiming the big price tags and the lion’s share of auction revenue, but 2017 made it abundantly clear that a new generation of South African artists have arrived on the international scene.
The establishment of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town is further proof that contemporary African is a new global fave – even with all of the commercial contradictions and access issues around the space.
Among the new generation, Kemang Wa Lehulere had an extraordinary year, eclipsing even Zanele Muholi and Nandipha Mntambo. Working across mediums, Lehulere broke through as a performance artist, winning the Malcolm McLaren Award at the important Performa fest in New York. He is touring Europe with a major solo and was named Germany’s Deutsche Bank artist of the year in March.
But he can’t take this one on his own. #Trending is naming the inimitable Lady Skollie as joint winner.
Epitomising the zeitgeist, Skollie owns the indie artist label. She broke through with an international solo in London at the Tyburn Gallery and another in Paris, and has finally arrived. Her work – playful, sketchy and angry – challenges patriarchy on every level, while still celebrating her womanhood. She also keeps up with the fashion world and is active on the social scene. When we see her at a party, we know we’re at the right place.
