With the country being on lock down for the next few weeks, the North-West University (NWU) Gallery will entertain you from the comfort of your own home.

From 2 April until 5 May the gallery will display 3D online exhibitions of Phoka Nyokong and Philiswa Lila, previous winners of the ABSA L’Atelier Gerard Sekoto Award.

Members of the public will have front row seats to the exhibitions through the click of a button.

A tale of witchcraft and traditional rituals

The artworks of Phoka Nyokong winner of the 2019 ABSA L’Atelier Gerard Sekoto Award, will be presented at the NWU Botanical Garden Gallery as part of the exhibition "Dinoolwane, Matlotlo le Baloi” (Folklores, treasures and witches). 

Phoka’s work speaks to the secretive traditions and folklores of his culture, such as witchcraft and traditional rituals. He combines these elements with more everyday objects to create a metaphoric and playful realm of magic, and also explores the dream realm or the world of sleep. 

He creates a safe space in which dreams, thoughts and myths can be explored, which also serves as an intimate space in which the viewer can physically explore the realm of sleep and all it entails.

A story of remembrance

The award-winning artworks of Philiswa Lila, who walked away with the ABSA L’Atelier Gerard Sekoto award in 2018, will be exhibited at the NWU Main Gallery. Her exhibition is titled “SKIN, BONE, FIRE: THE FIRST ALBUM”, and is presented in conjunction with the Alliance Française. This organisation is a global non-profit, apolitical and non-religious network promoting French language and Francophone cultures.

Philiswa’s artworks speak to her personal experiences. They serve as a story of remembrance, which is in accordance with her interests in memory histories and personal identities. Some of her influences include language, meaning and experiences of individualism (as observed by the physical and emotional senses of animals and humans). 

Philiswa’s artworks are multi-disciplinary – she makes use of paint, installation, performances and writing.  Most of the objects used in her installations and performances can be connected to forms that fit bodies. This linkage with bodies serves as a recording of stories as it links past experiences with the present.

How to connect

The NWU Gallery strives to promote and enhance the South African art scene. For more information on how to connect to the 3D tours, please follow the NWU Gallery on Facebook ,Instagram: @nwugallery and Twitter: @nwugallery. You can also follow the Facebook page Alliance Française Potchefstroom.