04 Jan Out of Africa – Obert Jongwe Solo – 2-8 February 2024
Jenny Jackson and Obert Jongwe do it again!
Out of Africa
Rossouw Modern
Opening Friday 2 February 2024 at 18H00
On until 8 February 2024
In 2023, Obert fulfilled what he considered an impossible dream — a 5-month trip to the United States of America. While there for religious studies, he embraced the opportunity to explore New York City and beyond.
Out of Africa presents a body of work inspired by this journey. Produced during and directly after his visit, it documents experiences and shares impressions of the Big Apple and surrounds.
The golden thread? The shifting power dynamics between the authorities, governments, leaders and the populace — in the US, and juxtaposed with hopeful shifts observed in his birth country, Zimbabwe.
His work has matured to reflect his time spent visiting the most notable art museums and galleries in New York, and shares an astute understanding of where Visual Arts is headed. This, coupled with his signature technique and powerful, postural and emotional placements delivers an exceptional viewing experience.
Hope and spiritual upliftment are a key message conveyed in each work:
“Just as calendar months announce the arrival of new seasons, I find these opportunities in life to be a good time to analyse the past and the present, while I try to map the future. I see no gaps in the journey of life, but a flow of time. Yesterday touches my today all the way into tomorrow and beyond.
The exposure to diverse genres of art broadened my scope, and I have since started exploring new techniques in painting, composition and subject matter.
From my journey “out of Africa” and inspired by my studies, I chose a crown as a symbol to carry through this body of work. To me, a crown symbolises authority and responsibility, in all aspects of life.
The trip came with the expectation that my life would be better after it — elevated by my studies and the increased exposure as an artist. This positivity was also muted by negative emotions, as I confronted the absurdly high cost of living in the USA and navigated the responsibilities that came with taking this journey while being a parent.
It was a decision I took with the weight of a crown on my head, and I do not regret it. My eyes have been opened to nuances in how world authorities view life, and living beings — and our own responsibility towards the same. Decisions that must be made in respect to it will either work or fail, as will how we act on risks and opportunities to achieve favourable goals.
The weight of this responsibility is the weight of the crown.
Wearing it is a challenge, yet it is a destiny that cannot be forfeited — by both the man on the street, and those in positions of absolute power.” —Obert Jongwe, 2024
Please RSVP at [email protected]
View the collection here