The Bag Factory is pleased to present A navigation guide to Kwanqingetshe, a solo exhibition of new work by Phumulani Ntuli.

In an intimate exploration of the journey from boyhood into manhood, Phumulani is influenced by the idea of reflection, in an analysis of not only the self, but how we come to define ourselves through our personal and collective stories. Working on canvas and with collage, the real and the fantastic are blended because he believes that we cannot find the self without delving into both our realities and our imaginations. 

Human beings are then, a beautiful, complex tapestry of these kinds of contradictions – and only in blending seemingly opposite ideas can there be any harmony with, or the revealing of the self. Since the self is a mass of realities and fantasies that all seem to exist at the same time, each time we observe ourselves, we influence a different definition of who we are. 

Phumulani explores this reflection and observation by embracing reality, fantasy, science fiction, a dystopian past, and a hopeful Black future. 

His work is vivid, sharp, and colourful, yet it evokes a fluid, otherworldly quality – like a dream in which you are not quite sure if it is a nightmare or not.

Referring to Kwanqingetshe as a figurative end of the road, he also raises questions about the current political status quo and the nuances around the pandemic in relation to a fictional geography, where every option has been exhausted. 

In getting anywhere, he feels there can be no progress towards understanding the self or our collective futurity without embracing the darkness that has influenced and even created us. 

Loosening the boundaries between the real and the occult, he offers a glimpse at who we are and how we have come to define ourselves, while evoking a playful sense of wonder and still understanding the need to observe and embrace reality. 

Curated by Ruzy Rusike, this is the artist’s third solo exhibition. 

Viewers will also have the opportunity to meet the artist and curator to discuss the exhibition further at a walkabout on 12 June 2021, 11am at the Bag Factory.

Exhibition opens: Saturday 29 May 2021

11am - 2pm

Walkabout: Saturday 12 June 2021

11am

Exhibition runs until: Wednesday 23 June 2021