Tag: lady skollie

Nakhane Exclusive: Live At The Lyric Theatre and Directorial Debut

On Monday morning, I had a Zoom interview with Nakhane and noticed that it was becoming a happy habit. The artist was generous enough to share new details about their busy schedule, upcoming concert at the Lyric Theatre, and exciting directorial debut.

On the new film, Nakhane shared, “I wrote it about two years ago as an exercise, really. I didn’t think that the story would go anywhere. … And then I couldn’t stop writing it … I adapted the short story into a film. It’s called B(l)ind, the Sacrifice and the ‘L’ is in parentheses …. It’s about a father who … believes that he hears God and he convinces his family and their servants to move, to go live in the wild because he believes that the world is evil. And there comes a point where he believes that God is saying that he should sacrifice his son …

The jumping point of course (is) Abraham (and) Isaac’s story in the Bible … but I wanted to humanise it because I feel like the story is not human enough. It’s all about (the) heroic things that men do. … And I wanted … to ask myself the question of what does it look like when you take away the faith and you’re just left with the actions and consequences of human beings. … And then it becomes a little uglier … it becomes a question of patriarchy; a question of agency, betrayal, love, all the big ones.”

I noted that the film, which Nakhane described as a drama set in the desert, could also be about violence and they responded, “Oh, violence, completely violence. Violence … that is enacted upon one by a person who is supposed to be their protector.”

Nakhane on set for their directorial debut in the film B(l)ind Sacrifice.

Acknowledging the sheer privilege of being able to produce such a project, Nakhane expressed gratitude for the collaborative effort that brought the film to fruition. The film is set for release in the first half of the upcoming year.

Of course, I had to ask Nakhane about the synergy between this, their directorial debut and the highly anticipated upcoming concert at the Lyric Theatre. The artist replied, “Oh, they’re completely different projects, but on some level, everything influences everything, right? Whether you know it or not …

But, the reason I’m playing the show is because I haven’t played a show in South Africa in a year and a half, and I love performing here, and the music on Bastard Jargon (2023) was so influenced by South African music that I thought it would be … remiss for me to have toured like Australia and Canada and played shows in the UK and not play a show in South Africa. … And also because I just love playing live here. The people are very … different to other countries … you don’t need to give them permission to have a good time.”

We talked about the vibrancy of South African performance styles and the use of joyfulness as resistance against despair. Nakhane hinted that their show at the Lyric Theatre would be intentionally minimalistic expressing a preference for spontaneity, vocality, and real-time collaboration; moving away from the Western performance style of complex visual elements. The show will be stripped down and raw. Described as “sweaty, electronic, and percussive,” it takes on a ritualistic quality, focusing on bodily expressions, rhythm, and connection to African spirituality, inviting the audience into a sensory odyssey.

It seems the whole city is pulsating with anticipation for Nakhane’s upcoming Lyric Theatre show, which, it has just been announced, will feature a visual collaboration with the award-winning artist Lady Skollie. This collaboration with Skollie, a self-proclaimed groupie of Nakhane, is a product of their mutual admiration. Reflecting on her work, Nakhane noted, “What Lady Skollie did for me was bring painting to the here and now. It was no longer an older person’s practice, but my generation’s as well.”

Nakhane’s concert will also feature artists from Msaki‘s ALTBLK community such as Gemma Fassie, who will open the show. Muneyi, known for his acclaimed EP For All The Boys I Like (2023), will serve as the Support Act. My esteemed reader would be remiss to miss this homecoming expression of Nakhane’s passion for African storytelling, filmmaking, and performativity on Friday, Nov 24, 2023, at the Lyric Theatre in Gold Reef City, Johannesburg.

Tickets, range from R250 and can be purchased through Computicket

17 November 2023
Lady Skollie X Morena Leraba: A Triumph at the Standard Bank Gallery

Last night was lit! The Standard Bank Gallery was filled with great vibes and beautiful people. The wine was flowing and we even got a little goodie bag! The size of the crowd was just right, not too overwhelming or chaotic. Present were some well-known faces, including the esteemed Gallery Manager Dr Same Mdluli. Alongside such art world heavy hitters, we saw the likes of SAMA award winner Msaki and the 2022 Standard Bank Young Artist for Theatre recipient Billy Langa.

We all came together to celebrate Groot Gat, Lady Skollie‘s latest exhibition at the Standard Bank Gallery. Having already been shown at the National Arts Festival, the travelling exhibition aims to confront the erasure of indigenous African culture and highlight historically disregarded or marginalised artistic traditions. The award-winning Cape Town-born Lady Skollie, who has always had a commanding presence, welcomed her audience, husband in tow, with the extra glow of new motherhood. In addition to the work on show, Skollie was flexing her curatorial muscle.

The First Thursdays event featured a 7 p.m. performance by Lesotho-born performer Morena Leraba, which was set to echo the exhibition’s ethos. I had the privilege of chatting with Morena Liraba before his performance, and he emphasised the connections between his and Lady Skollie’s work. He expressed a strong interest in continued collaboration and an in-depth conversation with Skollie about the overlaps between their work. The interaction between Lady Skollie and Morena Leraba was charming. The two seemed genuinely delighted to be working together.

The highlight of the evening was undoubtedly the performance. Renowned for blending traditional Sesotho lyrics with electronic, afro house, and hip-hop genres, Morena Leraba’s music pays homage to Lesotho’s musical traditions. I have been a long-time fan of Morena Leraba’s and I rate his performance style, so I was not surprised to see him immediately elevate the energy in the room. But I had never seen him quite like this before as Leraba departed from his usual electronic and percussive setup.

The diversity within the band was impressive, with a femme horn section and bassist. The keyboard player’s lively performance was a joy to watch, and the drummer showcased thrilling versatility. While they were a group of skilled musicians, one got the feeling that they were still finding their sea legs.

Initially, it seemed the violinist was set at a volume that was quite overwhelming, tending to drown out other elements. This issue was exacerbated when he spent a large portion of the set tending to technical issues. Because of the spiritual tone of the performance, one could make a strong case that the band could have functioned effectively without this rather unfortunate diversion.

The performance itself presented an intriguing rhythmic dynamic. In contrast with Morena’s distinctly African essence, the ensemble relied heavily on Western musical traditions, resulting in moments of rigidity. There were very few solos and when they happened they were incredibly tame and short-lived. It was evident that Morena’s musical prowess shone most when he departed from the standard four-beat structure, venturing into more unconventional territory like legendary African musicians such as Fela Kuti.

While both traditions include cross-cultural fusion, Western and African music generally have distinct rhythmic structures. Western music often relies on regular time signatures and emphasises downbeats, which results in rhythmic predictability. Conversely, African music employs complex, irregular time signatures, intricate polyrhythms, and diversified percussion. In Western music, melody and rhythm are often separate, with melody taking the lead, while in African music, they integrate, producing more rhythmic complexity.

There were certainly moments of complexity during the set, but one found oneself anticipating a further exploration of the dichotomy between what the lead singer was doing and what the band was doing. Nonetheless, observing Morena Leraba’s boldly fluid experimentation suggests that, even if he’s experiencing some growing pains at the moment, we’re witnessing the emergence of a true African rock star. His performance style remains exceptional, and we should be so lucky to continue seeing how he refines and evolves it.

One thing is for sure — this night was historic. The collaboration between Lady Skollie and Morena Leraba was a harmonious marriage of sound and vision, the likes of which we seldom see. The atmosphere was electric! Leraba’s music, with its lyrical depth and genre fusion, was a perfect complement to Lady Skollie’s visually stunning pieces. It was a high-vibrational moment and truly a blessing to witness. Kudos to Lady Skollie, the Standard Bank Gallery, and Morena Leraba for allowing us to be part of such a significant moment in Joburg history.

3 November 2023
TMRW Gallery // An Encoded Creation Merging Pixels and Paintbrushes

In an ever-increasing digital age where modes of technology seep into everyday use, TMRW Gallery operates as a platform at the frontier of innovation. Rooted in the desire to extend knowledge and experience – the objectives of the space are to produce world-class work and promote South Africa as a thought leader. Its core focus is invested is the integration of contemporary art and technology.

Director Ann Roberts describes the space as, “platform agnostic” emphasizing that TMRW Gallery is open to engaging with artists of all disciplines. The contemporary art space pairs both emerging and established artists with technologists who collaborate in actualizing a creative vision. Based on the premise that art guides and dictates the process by pushing the technology, creating a context in which “innovation is exponential.”

The gallery provides artists with access to new technologies including virtual reality, 3D printing, performance and augmented reality. This allows them to explore the medium and incorporate it as an extension of their practice – “tech is just another paintbrush”. Ann notes that “the outcomes need to be flexible” in order to allow for the plasticity of the process.

The not-for-profit space also presents an alternate gallery model, whereby the creation of exceptional work and not salability is the primary focus. However, the space is dependent on sponsorship and brand association. TMRW Gallery also poses an alternative to the ‘White Cube’ space – opting for a far more engaging and immersive environment.

The space promotes an audience-driven experience in which viewers are captivated and engulfed in an imagined reality. This model operates as an opportunity to develop the visual and digital vocabulary of its audience members – making the work intergenerationally accessible. The gallery’s upcoming show exhibits in September, featuring Lady Skollie and Wayne Barker. In the future, the space will also engage with extensive public programming, residencies, as well as group and solo shows.

14 August 2018
FNB JHB Art Fair // the Culture of Capitalism and Complexities of Autonomy

Clinks of champagne glasses and soft murmurs reverberated around the lofty sky-matrix of steel beams and prefabricated walls. The tenth annual edition of the FNB Joburg Art Fair, located in the aspirational opulence of the ever expanding Sandton central business district, boasted over 60 exhibitors from 12 countries across Africa, Europe and the US. The three-day event held an extensive array of public programming.

On entering the space, a large panel displayed the 25 partners and sponsors of the Art Fair. Patronage has always influenced the economics of art. Historically art was supported by the likes of kings, popes, the wealthy class and other institutions. In the contemporary moment, it appears that commercial brands have adopted a similar strategy.

In the centre of the labyrinth exhibition of the Art Fair was the Cartier Lounge, the FNB private wealth lounge and Esther Mahlangu’s display presented by BMW. These particular brands positioned their relevance at the Art Fair under the auspice of collaboration. Collaboration can take a multitude of forms within artistic practice. However, more important is to consider the level of reciprocity this kind of trade really entails – as with all forms of patronage. One hopes that artists are always one of the beneficiaries of the cultural capital they produce.

As typically the nature of Art Fairs, there was too much to see. However, some personal highlights included the clambering figures embodying the fierce flame of Lady Skollie’s exhibition Fire with Fire. “This is my opportunity for collective catharsis, ‘Fire with Fire’. A divine interpretation of grief, so bright, so gory, that we cannot and will not look away. Let us be cleansed with fire. Let us not light candles in remembrance. I’m done with being remembered. Instead, I see a burning phallus, melting, bubbling, its demise signalling our own rebirth.”

Another of the affecting exhibits was FORTIA by storyteller and digital artist Keyezua. The series of red-robed woman clad in beautifully articulated masks – constructed from recycled matter to articulate identity beyond anonymity. The series utilises, “a female body to portrait the stories told by Keyezua, a daughter of a disabled man through the hands of a group of disabled men that are alienated in their own society. The project is based on personal experiences that explore sorrow.”

Both of these artists channel a personal narrative and interesting mode of storytelling to visually articulate their process of catharsis and agency.

13 September 2017
Mamasan – serving Cape Malay cuisine and South African art

Mamasan Eatery, with its distinctive blue, yellow, pink and green colours, has brought the Bo-Kaap to the corner of 1st and 7th Street in Melville. They are serving up food inspired by traditional Cape Malay flavours with locally sourced ingredients. In addition to delicious food, you are served an experience of South African art and design which has been hand-picked by co-owner Dawood Petersen.

This experience begins before walking through the door. Through his various travel experiences, Dawood explained that there is often a disconnection between the look of a space and the food that it served. Visual artist Chloë Hugo-Hamman was commissioned to create a window display that would be able to make this connection for Mamasan. The images of ingredients that frame their large windows reference South African food and exploring holistic and spiritual practices. With most of the work coming from Dawood’s private collection, the space has been laid out in such a way that it feels homely with pink fleece blankets draped across the back of chairs, pot plants hanging from the ceiling and piles of books on the shelves.

The art on display represents “my identity, my culture, where I am from…the art relates to food or people culturally,” Dawood explained. The counter produced by Johannesburg-based design company Dokter and Misses has a direct link for Dawood with its cutout of Table Mountain. The macramé chairs made by Jade Paton’s House of Grace also has evoke a sense of homely nostalgia and familiarity with the weaving reminding him of how pot plants were hung up at home. Every piece comes with a story as he has a connection with each of the artists and designers he buys work from.

While there was no particular formal curatorial structure to how the art should be displayed, it was important to find a balance between mediums. There are paintings by Lady Skollie, textile work by Lawrence Lemaoana, conceptual work by Megan Mace among others. The desire was to not only have work that can be put in a frame. “I think the frame itself sometimes supersedes the art you know,” Dawood explained.

Dawood emphasized the importance of encouraging an interest in art, particularly in South African art. This fits in with his attitude around buying local and supporting people of colour. Not only does it contribute to allowing artists to be able to live off their work, but artists are examining topics that are socially and politically relevant in South Africa. As a result it the conversations that people have about the works has them engaging with these issues. The Mamasan team have also managed to do this with the Beautiful Boys long-sleeved tshirts they have hung up on their bathroom doors. The shirt with ‘Beautiful Boys’ on the chest is often associated with the men’s bathroom and the shirt with the large ‘B’ printed on the back assumed to stand for ‘babes’ often thought to be the ladies bathroom. However, the bathrooms are unisex and so the tshirts play conventions around gender-specific architecture.

The Mamasan team have created a space where one can engage with art without feeling intimidated by the white cube space.”You can view it for free. It is here you know. You don’t have to go to a museum [or gallery]. Like Laura [Lady Skollie] her work is on display here and she has her show in London. It’s that connection,” Dawood explained.

Make sure to visit Mamasan to get a taste of Cape Town and to view some of the art they have on display.

31 January 2017
Pussy Party Politik

It’s dark and warm in the sweet sweat-scented nightclub. Exclusively female and femme-identified DJs stroke the decks — a sonic pleasure patrol, an Empress insurrection. There’s a Hello Kitty pussy-cat vagazzling the DJ booth, backlit by velvet and a lick of pink lighting. Think Pussy Pride. Pussy Play. Pussy Power. Pussy Party. It’s a story about how femme bodies might take back the dancefloor.

Pussy Party pops off every second Wednesday of the month at Kitcheners, offering a platform in which femme DJs and artists can “practice, incubate, exchange and expose”. The organisers describe it as“an experiment in amplifying feminine energy on the dance floor”, an act of “yielding beyond the gender binary”, a femmeditation. In a thickly and narrowly-defined masculine industry, Pussy Party has sought to nurture and celebrate young female and femme-identified talent: each party is preceded by a three-hour workshop for aspirant femme selektas.

Three months in, Pussy Parties have boasted a fierce line-up of femme foxes: SistaMatik, FAKA, Lady Skollie, DJ Doowop, DJ Mystikal Ebony, LoveslavePhola, and Lil Bow. But the curators, creators, and dancefloor equators behind Pussy Party are DJs Phatstoki and Rosie Parade. Rosie Parade (AKA Coco) is part of Broaden a New Sound, music curators for Kitcheners.

‘When we arrived at Kitcheners, in 2009, courtesy of Andrew the DJ, there was nothing. There wasn’t 70 Juta. There wasn’t Smokehouse. Nothing was happening at Alexander Theatre. Kitcheners was a dive bar. I had my 21^st birthday here at a time when what is now the bathroom was the office, when Great Dane was just an empty hall. Initially Kitcheners was the type of venue anyone could book. Butin late 2014 we were conscious to say ‘Okay, what’s happening to the space around us? What’s happening to the club? What’s happening to the dancefloor?‘

Phatstoki (AKA Gontse) is a music mixologist and penetrating photographer, whose artistic raw material has been gathered through a lifetime of traversing city, suburb, village and Soweto, where she now lives. Phatstoki’s fluid audio-eclecticism resonated with Broaden a New Sound, whose mandate has been to curate genre-bending, and in this case, gender-bending night-spaces. ‘Phatsoki’s had this series of mixes called Boobs and Honey ’Rosie Parade remembers. ‘Boobs and Honey! Those are literally like my top two things (laughs) ’The two groove goddesses, Rosie Parade and Phatstoki became reciprocal fan-girls, teaming up to create what is now Pussy Party.

‘I remember walking through the club and being approached constantly’, Rosie Parade says, ‘being pressurised constantly by men.’ Whether a baggy hoody, or a tight skirt, or a long dress — each garment is re-imagined as the self-same solicitation. And so, femme bodies are propelled through a current of pull—stroke—squeeze—clutch. The crowd become an excuse to make the brash laying of hands appear accidental. And the dancefloor — ‘Hey baby’ — becomes — ‘You look like a million dollars’ — an exercise — ‘I like your…’ — in carving out space and protecting one’s borders. Just the presence of a woman in a nightclub, particularly if alone, can be read as implicit consent for all manner of invasions.

Then there are those femme bodies that outwardly supersede gender circumscription. Courageous, embattled bodies living dangerous, defiant and godly in a beyond-binary space — whose bodies are cowardly read as provocations to violence. As Desire Marea of FAKA once told me, a proximate dance might result in a punch to the face.

‘Looking at the dancefloor’, Rosie Parade explained, ‘there came a point [where we as Kitchener’s management thought] ‘Okay there’s a lot of guys. Women [and femme-identified men] are telling us that they feel unsafe. That’s not a positive club environment. I’m privileged that the management and staff at Kitcheners trust and respect me. So it’s about ‘What do I have that I can use?’ And for me, this space, and these people, this is what I have that I can use’

‘Maybe’, says Phatstoki,‘there’s a space for women/femme energies to actually own the dancefloor — not just necessarily own the dancefloor so that guys can hang around, but own the dancefloor ‘cos we actually wanna party, for us. We are the party, so can we actually be given the space to do just that.’

Go to an instalment of Pussy Party and you’ll still find many men. ‘To be quite honest I don’t think femmes want to exclude men’ Phatstoki says. ‘We just want some goddamn respect! Maybe this is a way we can teach them. Ya’ll are more than welcome, but ya’ll need to know what this party is about. If you don’t like it, by all means [leave]… if you wanna appreciate our efforts and party with us, please do…’ But understand that ‘it’s not your night tonight, you know’.

True to its name, Pussy Party, in monthly cycles, sets out to be a place of warmth, and pleasure — to cradle and excite us. It changes its shape to let us in, remoulding the club-space into a femme-positive experimental sanctuary. It can ache for us. It can be potentiallylife-giving. But, as with any pussy, right of admission is reserved. There are pre-requisites of respect, appreciation and recognition that Pussy Party is grappling with enforcing.

‘Actually’, Rosie Parade says,‘what’s been simple is: put women behind the decks, or femme-identified individuals behind the decks [and] the femmes in the space respond. Tell people that it’s a space for femmes and honeys will come through’.

Both Rosie Parade and Phatstoki know that this is the awkward, messy, beautiful beginning — of a movement to disrupt club cultures. ‘It’s still marginalised. You couldn’t do this on a weekend. We’re mid-week and we’re mid-month. It’s not payday weekend’.

They also know that Pussy Party, as it stands, attracts a particular, pre-defined Model C, middle class. ‘But [for this space], this is how it starts’, says Phatstoki. ‘I want to bring these issues up, and depending on how we address them, that’s when I’ll know if we’re serious about the movement or not. [We need to make sure we] don’t forget those who go through the most [regarding this subject].’

The Pussy Party agenda aspires to openness. ‘Come through and tap us on the shoulder and say what’s up. This is the night to come through. If you have a problem coming through, tell us about the problem. I think you need to admit where you’ve gone wrong and made mistakes ’Rosie Parade says. ‘Openness. That’s a big part of a femme party’, Phatstoki adds, smiling. ‘That flexibility. It can stretch’, laughs Rosie Parade, ‘and it can shrink. It can self-lubricate’.

26 July 2016
A reflection on representation: musings on black girl magic

In the late 90s, Arts & Culture was phased in as a subject in South African primary schools. My teacher was Afrikaans, had a 9 carat gold nail attached by a gossamer chain to a ring resting on her pinky finger and taught me to make biltong and use acrylic paints. Her central thesis was that society operates as a pendulum, swinging from extremes.

Before anything further is said, I must acknowledge the delight that comes with no longer being the token POC, lone nerd, passionate fangirl, avid consumer etc. etc. ad infintum.

REPRESENTATION MATTERS.

Not just of the fairer sex, from The Dark Continent, or of a queer dispensation.

The ways of being in this world are infinite.

All must be flexed.

While the spotlight shines on some of them from time to time, refracting into their cultures and sub-cultures, crews and niches, cultural capital is a roaring economy. We know which styles get the most shine and trendy appropriation is usually a dead giveaway of the marketability of oppressive underrepresentation.

On the day that this was shot, I was chuckling with Dope Saint Jude and Kyla Phil about how cute it was that the photographers had expressed how relevant black girl magic is right now.

Relevant: closely connected or appropriate to the matter in hand.

Trendy: characteristic of, influenced by, or representing a current popular style.

There is a big difference.

Nonetheless, the matters at hand for the women in this feature may very well be easily aligned with the styles of Russian ravers, Senegalese surfers, WASPs, or Taiwanese gender benders. And then again, maybe not.

For instance, Marge Linderoth is a sweetheart angelface hairstylist; Purity is the lead singer of indie-dream-wave/horror-funk band, The Pranks. Their lived experiences might be chalk and cheese, but maybe they’ve worked, lived, played together.

Kalo Canterbury aka k.dollahz aka international playboy/daddy/prettyboy, and Jana Babez Terblanche (Britney Spears meets Athi-Patra Ruga) are both crushing gender binaries through subverting heteronormative ideals. One does it via performance art; the other as part of the streetwear sex gods fashioning an anomalous support for local products out of discontent with the disconnect between the mainstream ‘fashion industry’ and on the ground street style in Cape Town.

And while actress and filmmaker Kyla Phil deposes of discourse despots on the daily in her hard-earned capacity as a flourishing (read: woke) thought-leader, LadySkollie, the fine (AF) artist pioneers paths in both the creative industry and in understanding of contemporary sexual experiences.

Some time back I wrote about rapper Dope Saint Jude’s visceral style of parading and parodying positions of power – all of these individuals are doing that in their respective life-worlds, and it has got everything and nothing to do with being African women.

This gathering of individuals is in no way a statistically accurate representative of women in Africa, but it is an interesting sample, intoxicating in its authenticity. Its like a flip on The Spice Girls, but with more people because duh, T.I.A.

So it goes without saying, that defying prescribed societal roles in a country like South Africa – one of the most diverse in the world, with four broad racial groupings, 11 official languages, countless cultural identities and ethnic bonds, a huge gap between rich and poor and growing communities of migrants and immigrants – is somewhat superfluous.

The experience of being an African woman is ineffable, intersectional, liminal, and oh so lit.

22 February 2016