TSA SEFALENG
February 15, 2024 - March 10, 2024
22 FREEDMAN DRIVE, SANDTON
"Tsa sefaleng le meraloko ye mengwe", loosely translated from Sepedi meaning “A theatre stage piece and other plays".
Ramotoana Richard Mokgomme's third solo exhibition is composed as a theatre play, narrating the story of politics in South Africa after 1994. Ramotoana confronts the successes and failures of the political leaders post the implementation of democracy.
The works in this exhibition explore the current affairs impacting South Africa: COVID-19, load shedding, the distressing unemployment rate, and the ever-declining standard of education.
"If you produce political artwork, there is an assumption that your work will not sell. I want to break this notion. I want to create an awareness among the youth that we have a responsibility to share our voice in the political space." - Ramotoana
Ramotoana references his late father's green ID book in many of his artworks. The old South African coat of arms is observed in relation to the new coat of arms; a reminder of how the political landscape has changed. He also uses the ID book to critically examine justice, democracy, and the South African constitution.
The body of work displayed in this exhibition encourages us to engage and unpack the controversial issues of land ownership, migration, and cultural identities.
Ramotoana has developed a narrative through the medium of collage, linocut, monotype, and lithograph painting. To create the sculptures, he has used a collection of found objects and the bones of animals who died after eating discarded plastic and disposable nappies.
"The exhibition doesn't serve as conclusion but to expose these political and economic matters so that we can discuss them openly." - Ramotoana
The meaning of the work is deeply submerged but Ramotoana's intention is to shock viewers through many layered elements.
The exhibition showcases two sculptures for which Ramotoana won the 2022 Thami Mnyele Fine Arts Sculpture Merit Award.
