Banele Khoza

what’s left unsaid

5 — 28 september, 2024

 Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, ZA

Goodman Gallery presents Banele Khoza’s exhibition ‘What’s left unsaid’, exploring the weight of unspoken words. Seen together for the first time in Johannesburg is a selection of watercolour paintings from an ever-evolving series initiated in 2013. The presentation continues themes explored in work shown in the 2022 exhibition at Kunsthaus Göttingen ‘From South Africa’ where he was shown alongside William Kentridge and Santu Mofokeng. The presentation also opens ahead of Khoza’s inclusion in the September group show ‘Pause’ at Frac Lorraine in France.

Central to ‘What’s left unsaid’ is the tension between two people when the ability to articulate thoughts and feelings is stifled due to distance, time and vulnerability. This feeds into the artist’s larger thematic exploration: the search for connection. This is represented by his iterative and ongoing development of delicate portraiture in his practice. The presentation includes a selection of self-portraits, a subject matter the artist finds simultaneously challenging and therapeutic. On this he states:

‘I have been afraid to look at myself as the subject. One usually places an emphasis on other people to escape oneself or as a way to shy from seeing their beauty. The self-portraits in the show are a reflection of an environment none are a witness to except for the self. I am encouraged to explore this space as it holds an authentic reflection and reveals mark-making I can’t find while looking outside of myself.’