Casey Kaplan
Tracing Emerging Artistic Practice In South Africa
By Houghton Kinsman
22 September 2014
With planning underway for the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art and on the back of the announcement of Johannesburg as one of Phaidon’s 12 Future Art Cities, there is an air of creative enthusiasm around South Africa. As one of the most established art markets on the continent, events like these, in addition to Cape Town’s role as the 2014 World Design Capital, have meant increased attention on and discussion around the countries creative exploits.
One of the most exciting aspects to emerge from this discussion has been the continued growth of contributions from young creative practitioners to the cultural and artistic climate of South Africa.
As young artists/curators, presenting critical thoughts on and notions of what it means to artistically form part of a new post- Apartheid country, Athi Patra-Ruga, Julia Rosa Clarke, Haroon Gunn Salie, Portia Malatjie and Husan and Hussein Essop – who recently received the prestigious Standard Bank Young Artist award, are but a few notable names characterizing this new generation of creatives that have received both the acclaim and exposure that their respective practices deserve, ultimately embodying South Africa’s youthful creative potential.
Yet, they are only the beginning.
Hence, we have highlighted three more emerging artists to find out more about their work, as a means to develop a more coherent understanding of their contributions to new artistic directions and most importantly, the trajectory of emerging South African practice in the 21st century.