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TRANSFORM
THK GROUP SHOW I 2021 -
THK Gallery is proud to announce THK Cologne, our new exhibition space in Cologne, Germany.
Housed in a transformer station, we curate conversations between emerging and established artists from Africa and Europe, to engage with and explore our evolving visual language. Our first exhibition — TransForm — presents works by Nonzuzo Gxekwa, Andrew Kayser, Manyatsa Monyamane, Evans Mutenga and Jake Michael Singer.
We invite you into the realm of forms and the imaginary, situated in the slippage between the two.
Andrew Kayser's intensely detailed works create an absurd, ambivalent, darkly humorous reality where you have no choice but to abandon yourself to the pleasures of the surface. Nonzuzo Gxekwa's approach to photography favours the everyday over the spectacular; sharing interesting and intimate moments through focusing the camera on what is around her as well as herself. Her work explores the human condition in subtle and beautiful ways. Jake Michael Singer commands an exquisite mastery of sculpture - drawing inspiration from the emergent behaviour of flocking birds, where the individual is subsumed in the whole; and meditating on the timeless monumentality of the Winged Victory of Samothrace, his Murmurations series speaks to our time. Evans Mutenga uses paper not as a surface but as a material that he tears, manipulates, inks, wipes and coats. He creates almost abstract portraits by playing with layers of paper. Manyatsa Monyamane is a visual storyteller, inspired and influenced by African literature, theatre, and everyday surroundings. Unpacking difficult themes, Monyamane’s photography often brings attention to stories overlooked by the mainstream media.
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About Andrew Kayser
Andrew Kayser (b. 1975) displays his technical mastery in his finely detailed narrative paintings. Embracing ambiguity and contradiction, his works are both a critique and reconciliation of his coming of age, depicting saccharine suburban scenes disconnected from the larger social reality.
He graduated from Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten (Royal Academy of Art), Den Haag, Netherlands in 2001. Currently living and working in inner-city Johannesburg, he is represented in collections both locally and abroad. -
About Nonzuzo Gxekwa
Nonzuzo Gxekwa (b. 1981) is a Johannesburg-based photographer. Her approach to photography favours the everyday over the spectacular; sharing interesting and intimate moments through focusing the camera on what is around her as well as herself. Whether it is through street photography or the studio, her work explores the human condition in subtle and beautiful ways.
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About Jake Michael Singer
Jake Michael Singer (b. 1991) experiments with a broad range of disciplines from photography to works on paper, and commands an exquisite mastery of sculpture. Drawing inspiration from the emergent behaviour of flocking birds, where the individual is subsumed in the whole; and meditating on the timeless monumentality of the Winged Victory of Samothrace, his Murmurations series speaks to our time. Meticulously constructed, using up to sixteen thousand meters of marine grade stainless steel for a single sculpture, the Murmurations series establishes his position as one of the leading young sculptors from Africa.
Singer completed his bachelor’s at Michaelis School of Fine Art in 2013, after deepening his learning over the course of 2012 at Central Saint Martins in London. He was recognised by the Eduardo Villa Foundation Grant both in 2016 and 2017, the youngest sculptor yet awarded this. His work features in private collections in South Africa, Germany, Greece, Canada, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and he has further completed two large-scale public sculptures in Johannesburg: Dawn Chorus, part of the RMB Collection in the Think Precinct, and Roarke’s Evacuation Plan, a landmark on the Jo’burg skyline. In 2020, he launched the Emergence Art Prize with THK Gallery, which was supported by RMB. His work has been exhibited at Zeitz MOCAA, and his large installation And all the Birds Flew with a Harsh Scream (Marmara), 2020, after previously being exhibited in Iziko Museum’s Matereality, is now at the prestigious Norval Foundation.
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About Evans Mutenga
Evans Mutenga (b. 1987) is a visual artist currently living and working in Harare, Zimbabwe. He is a graduate of the National Gallery School of Visual Art and Design in Harare.
Since 2013 he has exhibited at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, the Gallery Delta. Between 2016 and 2018 he participated in the FNB Joburg art fair, Investec Cape Town Art Fair and attended the John Mafuangejo Printing Studios in Namibia.
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About Manyatsa Monyamane
Manyatsa Monyamane (b. 1989) is a visual storyteller, inspired and influenced by African literature, theatre, and everyday surroundings. Unpacking difficult themes, Monyamane’s photography often brings attention to stories overlooked by the mainstream media.
Monyamane completed her BTech in Photography in 2016 at the Tshwane University of Technology, and is currently completing a Master of Arts in Fine Arts at the University of the Witwatersrand.
She was a finalist at Pop Cap 2016 and, in 2017, a Multi & New Media Merit Award Winner - all for the Thami Mnyele Fine Arts Awards. In 2018, she was announced as a finalist for the International Women Photographers Award, with a travelling exhibition in Dubai, New Delhi, Tokyo and Paris. A selection of works from the 'Before and After' series premiered at 1-54 London 2020 and 1-54 Online, powered by Christie's.
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PRESS
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Art Times | Andrew Kayser | A Moderate Bliss | July/Aug 2019 Edition
July 1, 2019 Feature article on Andrew Kayser's solo show A Moderate Bliss, held at THK Gallery from 27 June – 30 August 2019. The online version of the full July/August 2019 edition... -
The South African | THK Gallery at 1-54 London 2020
October 9, 2020 An article featuring THK Gallery's participation at 1-54 London 2020. Read the full piece here . -
Carbon Copy | A Photo Project by Twin Sisters Nonzuzo and Noncedo Gxekwa
January 15, 2015 Article and interview on Carbon Copy, a collaborative photo project for which twin sisters Nonzuzo and Noncedo Gxekwa have turned the camera on themselves. Read the full piece here . -
Mail & Guardian | Inside Nonzuzo Gxekwa’s time machine
November 15, 2019 Article highlighting Nonzuzo Gxekwa’s practice and work. Read the full piece here . -
Jameson Indie Channel | Twin photographers Nonzuzo Gxekwa and Noncedo Charmaine talk individuality
Article and interview with twin photographers Nonzuzo Gxekwa and Noncedo Charmaine. Read the full piece here . -
Sibahle Magazine | Launch issue | Nonzuzo Gxekwa
April 1, 2015 Feature on Nonzuzo Gxekwa's Body Beautiful series. Read the full feature here . -
Republik | The City Diary | Nonzuzo Gxekwa
January 11, 2020 Interview with Nonzuzo Gxekwa and Republik Magazine, a Swiss online publication. Read the full interview here . -
Between 10 and 5 | What makes a muse? | Nonzuzo Gxekwa
July 28, 2017 Article featuring the portrait work of Nonzuzo Gxekwa. Read the full piece here . -
African Lens | Collector's Edition | Nonzuzo Gxekwa
January 1, 2016 Collectors Edition is a three volume publication produced by African Lens, an independent publication featuring and celebrating African photographers both in the motherland and across the diaspora. The publication features... -
Nonzuzo Gxekwa | Oath Magazine
December 6, 2019 Nonzuzo Gxekwa's work is included within the first volume of Oath Magazine, a bi-annual publication that celebrates and promotes emerging photographers from across the African continent. Find out more here... -
Vogue UK | Phenomenal Black Artists, Ceramicists & Interiors Brands To Support Now & Always | Nonzuzo Gxekwa
July 13, 2020 Article by Sophie Ashby with mention of Nonzuzo Gxekwa. Read the full piece here . -
Art Times | Nonzuzo Gxekwa
May 26, 2020 Feature on Nonzuzo Gxekwa's first online solo show with THK Gallery. Read the full piece by Sven Christian here . -
KUNSTFORUM International | COVID-19 "The Mask Project" | Pierre le Riche X Nonzuzo Gxekwa
August 6, 2020 Feature on Kunstforum International regarding The Mask Project, a collaboration between THK Gallery artists Pierre le Riche and Nonzuzo Gxekwa. Read the full piece here . -
Latitudes | The Mask Project | Nonzuzo Gxekwa x Pierre Le Riche
July 20, 2020 An article on The Mask Project collaboration between THK Gallery artists Nonzuzo Gxekwa and Pierre le Riche. Read the full piece here . -
Fujifilm | Featured photographer: Nonzuzo Gxekwa
August 13, 2020 An interview with featured photographer Nonzuzo Gxekwa. Read the full interview here . -
Vogue Italy | Oath Magazine: Nonzuzo Gxekwa
October 20, 2020 A feature on Oath magazine, with highlight on Nonzuzo Gxekwa's work. See the full feature here . -
Lindsay Magazine | Issue 5 | Nonzuzo Gxekwa
October 26, 2020 Lindsay Magazine's latest issue features the works of Nonzuzo Gxekwa. Lindsay is a biannual print and online magazine celebrating the importance of culture and place. Find out more here . -
1854 Photography | Picture This: Power | Nonzuzo Gxekwa
May 7, 2021 Al J Thompson, Elena Cremona, Cemre Yesil, Max Siedentopf, Nonzuzo Gxekwa and Hubert Crabieres ruminate on the theme of Power. Read the full piece here . -
The Art Newspaper | Photographers' Gallery in London stages first selling show dedicated to African photography
July 2, 2021 An article on the Presence: Five Contemporary African Photographers exhibition at the Photographer's Gallery in London. Feauturing the work of Nonzuzo Gxekwa. Read the full article here . -
Hero Magazine | The South African photographer creating empowering portraits of Johannesburg’s LGBTQ+ community
April 29, 2021 Launched to coincide with South Africa’s Pride celebrations next month, a new online exhibition by Johannesburg-based photographer Nonzuzo Gxekwa will shine a light on the city’s LGBTQ+ community with seven... -
Ocula Magazine | African Connections: Artists to Watch at 1-54 and Frieze Masters
October 8, 2020 Article including mention of Nonzuzo Gxekwa, and THK Gallery's participation at 1-54 London. Read the full piece here . -
Art Times | Jake Michael Singer | In Murmurs | November 2019 Edition
October 28, 2019 Feature article on Jake Michael Singer's solo show In Murmurs, held at THK Gallery from 30 October - 06 December 2019 . The online version of the full July/August 2019... -
RMB | Jake Michael Singer Interview | Dawn Chorus
November 20, 2019 Jake Michael Singer discusses his process and use of materials for his Murmurations series, specifically Dawn Chorus, which entered the Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) collection in 2019. It is on... -
Bubblegum Club | Jake Michael Singer at Gallery TINY
March 11, 2020 Article on Jake Singer's first exhibition The World is Already Happening, at Gallery TINY in New York. Read the article here . -
Latitudes | Collect: A Sculptural Medium | Jake Michael Singer
October 19, 2020 An article on the work of 14 sculptors, including Jake Michael Singer. Read the full article here . -
AKAA 2020 | Fair Newspaper | Interview with Jake Michael Singer
November 12, 2020 An interview with Jake Michael Singer, regarding his practice and conducted by Mimi Vuurman. Read the full interview here . The full AKAA 2020 fair newspaper can be viewed here... -
Iziko South African National Gallery | Matereality | Jake Michael Singer | 14 February - 02 August 2020
March 5, 2020 THK Gallery is proud to announce that Jake Michael Singer's large-scale installation, And All the Birds Flew with a Harsh Scream (Marmara), 2020, currently features in Matereality, the critically acclaimed... -
Jake Michael Singer in New York | Gallery TINY | 13 March - 10 April 2020
March 5, 2020 THK Gallery announces Jake Michael Singer's latest exhibition in New York. Showcasing select photographs and sculptures from Jake's varied practice, The World is Already Happening opens at Galley TINY on... -
Fabulous Woman Magazine | Interview with Manyatsa Monyamane
December 7, 2017 An interview with photographer Manyatsa Monyamane. Read the full piece here . -
Beyond | Edition 3 | Manyatsa Monymane
February 1, 2020 An inculsion of Manyatsa Monymane's Serithi series in Beyond Magazine's third edition. Beyond III aims to open a discourse on colonial structures in photography, the power of images in our... -
World Press Photo | Manyatsa Monyamane
May 12, 2021 An article detailing Manyatsa Monyamane's practice and featuring two of her photographic series: The Unsung Ones, and Serithi. Read the full article here .
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