By Bianca Iboma-Emefu
Renowned South African fine artist, motorbike adventurer and philanthropist Reggie Khumalo, has urged Africans to shun xenophobia and other inhumane activity practice that has threatened the unity, peace and kindness shared among the blacks race.
He disclosed this at the launch of his first solo exhibition entitled “Mental Health” at the prestigious HourGlass Gallery in Lagos, Nigeria, recently.
Khumalo encouraged all Africans to be liberated from the painful past and Usher in an Africa that radiates positivity and abundance.
He said that the mental revolution was an awakening to the time when Africans were proud of who they were and the awakening of the potential of a different future.
“It’s a mental revolution and not physical. We are not fighting anyone with guns or anything like that; it’s a mental change. The inspiration behind the exhibition is simple: it is wanting to see African people believing in themselves again and saying this is who we are, this is what Africa is and we are proudly African,” he pointed out.
Khumalo artwork is centred around the idea of social change, sharing stories from his travels and his passion for humanitarian work.
“I have had shows in Ethiopia and Egypt, but this will be my first show in West Africa. I think it’s important that we criss-cross the continent as Africans in order to share our cultures, and different points of view and to learn from one another. To capture a time in history.
“Travelling is the most important thing to do as an artist. We can fight things like xenophobia through art when we share other people’s stories, where they are coming from and why they are going through the things they are going through.
“I was in Sudan during the Revolution, and I’d never seen people standing up against injustice. That changed my work. That’s why you see black faces in my work, they are inspired by the people of Sudan at the time.”
This Alexandra born artist firmly believes in working on the continent in order to foster the spirit of Ubuntu. He explained: “My art inspires my travel, and I generate some sort of income and I use that income somehow to make a change wherever I can make a change.
“And that is to inspire others to say where you are, what you’re doing is good enough to make a change. The change starts with us, after all, I am because you are. Also, I used proceeds from my paintings to impact society, especially kids from less privileged environments.
The figures in his paintings, mostly portraits, are interpretations of the faces he encounters along the way, often wearing local garb.
He said, “We know people by how they dress so when you look at the images you know that this is where I’ve been. The clothing tells a story. I do use the materials from some of the places that I’ve visited and I capture that in my work.”
After the show in Nigeria, Khumalo has exhibitions scheduled at the Frieze Art Fair in London, Munich, Germany, and New York where he is set to spend a year in residency at the Bishop Gallery. He wants to share his story, journey, and Ubuntu across the world. “I’m a proud Unbuntu-ist, if you like, to say we can build a better world with each person playing their part,” he said.
Jimi Adesanya, Founder J.Room Curated, said: “As a platform that connects and celebrates African creatives in the Art Room & Lifestyle space, it is a pleasure to host Khumalo in Lagos. I have been a keen follower of his journey and I am a proud collector of his pieces. His travels and the pieces they inspire are truly remarkable”.
J.Room curated it in partnership with BrownEyedBoy Art Pursuits and the prestigious HourGlass Gallery
“This project is a true expression of Radical Ubuntu ism —a movement to unlock the best of Africa’s creative talent. This marks a reinforcement of West Africa (Nigeria) and Southern Africa (South Africa) collaborations. A gift for African Art and as BrownEyedBoy Art Pursuits we are proud to be involved in this Pan African journey that Reggie embarked on and its passage through Lagos,Nigeria. This is a project whose time has come!” – Tshepo Hlongwane, Founder, BrownEyedBoy Art Pursuits
Dozie Igweze, Founder HourGlass Gallery, commended Khumalo for being able to raise funds to help African charitable organisations and institutions. As such, collecting his art is not only an investment but also a vehicle for social change.