Tyburn Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of new works by Mohau Modisakeng.

Modisakeng is one of the most promising young South African artists today. His practice reflects both upon the political and his own personal experiences of growing up in Apartheid and Post-Apartheid South Africa, with central themes which revolve around violence, labour, security and ritual.

Originally trained in sculpture, Modisakeng uses the technique of the self-portrait – through large-scale photographs, performance and video installations - to address issues such as his own identity and the political processes within his country. The artist uses his body to explore the influence of South Africa’s violent history, creating powerful and poetic invocations where the body is transformed into a poignant marker of collective history. Modisakeng explains: “The real work for me is in relating the visual signs and symbols of the abstract – be it in music or in my dreams – into a narrative that resonates with the collective social experience.”

The exhibition’s title Bophirima is from the artist’s mother tongue Setswana, meaning West or the direction from where the sun sets, also meaning twilight or before dusk. In two new series of photographic self-portraits, Endabeni and Ga Etsho, Modisakeng reflects on the legacy of colonialism and its effect on post-independence societies in Africa.

Mohau Modisakeng -