Moshekwa Langa South African, b. b.1975
Lesedi, 2012
ink, acrylic, gouache, watercolour, varnish, tape, and collage on paper
162 x 122 cm
signed, dated and inscribed with the title on the reverse
Moshekwa Langa's exceptional talent in merging cultures, transcending boundaries, and capturing the essence of human experience has positioned him as a leading figure in the global art scene. Langa grew...
Moshekwa Langa's exceptional talent in merging cultures, transcending boundaries, and capturing the essence of human experience has positioned him as a leading figure in the global art scene.
Langa grew up in Bakenberg, a small village in the northernmost province of Limpopo, amid apartheid-era challenges where his early life was shaped by cultural diversity, racial tension, and a quest for self-discovery. These experiences became the foundation of his artistry and propelled him to international recognition.
Langa's artistic exploration began with sketching the vivid landscapes of his homeland as a young boy, leading him to the Johannesburg Art Foundation, where he honed his skills and found a supportive community of artists seeking creative liberation. His first solo exhibition was in 1995 at the now defunct Rembrandt van Rijn Art Gallery in Johannesburg. Two years later, he left the country, taking up a year-long residency at the Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten in Amsterdam, where he remained until 2007. His undeniably contemporary work earned recognition like the prestigious Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Visual Arts in 2001. He returned to South Africa in 2008 and lived in Johannesburg until 2013, before moving back to Amsterdam. It is during this period that the present work was produced, named after the artist's obscure rural origins, it epitomises the cryptic connection between art and a sense of liminal place and identity. In a world inundated with noise, Langa's art provides a quiet moment for reflection, inviting viewers to engage with profound questions and embrace diversity. These abstractions evoke dreamlike mental states, offering a psychological excavation beneath the surface of images. As with poetry, Langa's abstractions express representations as gestures towards meanings, preserving an elliptical and liminal sense across all his media.
Coming from the Limpopo region, Langa's work often explores a unique perspective on social spaces in his home country. Rather than providing answers, he aims to raise questions about representation, aspiring to establish a visual anthropology through his art. Describing his work as inspired by various desires and needs, Langa's art defies easy classification, spanning painting, drawing, sculpture, collage, photography, and installation. A distinctive aspect of this approach is his ability to weave personal narratives with broader social and political commentary. Themes of identity, migration, displacement, and the human condition permeate his work, serving as a bridge between cultures, encouraging viewers to explore the complexity of their identities and appreciate multicultural nuances.
Langa's art has gained international acclaim, exhibited in renowned institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, the Tate Modern in London, and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. The late artist and critic Colin Richards weighed in, describing his work as “cryptic and diaristic, his aesthetic one of wit and whimsy, a sharp feel for the game and a devotion to keeping on the move”.[1]
Moshekwa Langa is represented by Stevenson.
[1] Richards C. (2004). 'Aftermath: Value and Violence in Contemporary South Africa Art', in Antinomies of Art and Culture: Modernity, Postmodernity, Contemporaneity. Edited by Terry Smith, et al. Durham: Duke University Press.
Langa grew up in Bakenberg, a small village in the northernmost province of Limpopo, amid apartheid-era challenges where his early life was shaped by cultural diversity, racial tension, and a quest for self-discovery. These experiences became the foundation of his artistry and propelled him to international recognition.
Langa's artistic exploration began with sketching the vivid landscapes of his homeland as a young boy, leading him to the Johannesburg Art Foundation, where he honed his skills and found a supportive community of artists seeking creative liberation. His first solo exhibition was in 1995 at the now defunct Rembrandt van Rijn Art Gallery in Johannesburg. Two years later, he left the country, taking up a year-long residency at the Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten in Amsterdam, where he remained until 2007. His undeniably contemporary work earned recognition like the prestigious Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Visual Arts in 2001. He returned to South Africa in 2008 and lived in Johannesburg until 2013, before moving back to Amsterdam. It is during this period that the present work was produced, named after the artist's obscure rural origins, it epitomises the cryptic connection between art and a sense of liminal place and identity. In a world inundated with noise, Langa's art provides a quiet moment for reflection, inviting viewers to engage with profound questions and embrace diversity. These abstractions evoke dreamlike mental states, offering a psychological excavation beneath the surface of images. As with poetry, Langa's abstractions express representations as gestures towards meanings, preserving an elliptical and liminal sense across all his media.
Coming from the Limpopo region, Langa's work often explores a unique perspective on social spaces in his home country. Rather than providing answers, he aims to raise questions about representation, aspiring to establish a visual anthropology through his art. Describing his work as inspired by various desires and needs, Langa's art defies easy classification, spanning painting, drawing, sculpture, collage, photography, and installation. A distinctive aspect of this approach is his ability to weave personal narratives with broader social and political commentary. Themes of identity, migration, displacement, and the human condition permeate his work, serving as a bridge between cultures, encouraging viewers to explore the complexity of their identities and appreciate multicultural nuances.
Langa's art has gained international acclaim, exhibited in renowned institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, the Tate Modern in London, and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. The late artist and critic Colin Richards weighed in, describing his work as “cryptic and diaristic, his aesthetic one of wit and whimsy, a sharp feel for the game and a devotion to keeping on the move”.[1]
Moshekwa Langa is represented by Stevenson.
[1] Richards C. (2004). 'Aftermath: Value and Violence in Contemporary South Africa Art', in Antinomies of Art and Culture: Modernity, Postmodernity, Contemporaneity. Edited by Terry Smith, et al. Durham: Duke University Press.