The Tiriparwendo exhibition, part of the 2026 Nando’s Creative Exchange, brings together four emerging artists: Bekezela Mabena, Luxolo Theophilus Witvoet, Mpumelelo Samantha Maseko, and Viola Greyling. Their work examines migration, identity, and the search for belonging through various mediums, including clay, painting, and mixed media. The exhibition, on display at the Hub Gallery in Cape Town from November 12, 2026, to January 22, 2027, offers a unique perspective on the experiences of migrants and those searching for a sense of home.
Viola Greyling, a 30-year-old artist from Pretoria, uses clay to explore the concept of home and belonging. Her body of work combines wall-based and three-dimensional ceramic pieces that reflect on the layers of memory, longing, and putting down roots in a new environment. Greyling's journey into art began after returning from Australia, unsure of where she wanted to call home. Encouraged by her mother, she enrolled in Fine and Applied Art, which changed the course of her life.
Greyling's exhibition works include three hanging stalactite forms, each with seeds emerging from it, positioned above melting stalagmite forms. The sculptures suggest both the possibility of new growth and the release of places left behind. The seeds were collected from specific places where she has lived, transforming each sculpture into a record of a particular landscape and moment in time. Greyling's work is a reflection of her experiences growing up between South Africa and Australia.
Luxolo Theophilus Witvoet, a 32-year-old self-taught artist from Kuils River in Cape Town, revisits South Africa’s undocumented histories through his art. His work reflects his upbringing across rural, township, and suburban environments. Witvoet's interest in art developed further during his matric year in 2011, when he visited a retrospective of Russian-South African painter Vladimir Tretchikoff at the Iziko South African National Gallery.
Witvoet's exhibition piece, Botshelelwe Ngabhanti Linye, is a reimagination of an image from Ernest Cole's book House of Bondage, showing two men chained together during apartheid. His work is inspired by cinema, South African history, archival photography, and his curiosity about his Xhosa nation, its history, and traditions. Witvoet was invited by Spier Arts Trust to apply for the programme alongside other artists selected from its Creative Block cohort.
Bekezela Mabena, a 29-year-old artist based between Johannesburg and Zimbabwe, explores the journeys migrants make through his art. His creative journey began as a child watching his brother draw. Mabena's current work is inspired by everyday conversations with migrants and non-migrants, particularly those who have experienced undocumented migration. His work offers a unique perspective on the theme of migration and identity.
The Tiriparwendo exhibition marks an important milestone for each of the four artists, who have previously participated in group exhibitions across South Africa. The exhibition provides a platform for them to showcase their work and explore the theme of migration, identity, and belonging in a new and innovative way.
Key points
- The exhibition runs until January 22, 2027, at the Hub Gallery in Cape Town.
- The four artists use various mediums to explore the theme of migration, identity, and belonging.
- The exhibition is part of the 2026 Nando’s Creative Exchange programme.
