Locals are urged to reserve Valentine’s Day for Kissing Studies
The Kissing Studies exhibition artist confronts the ‘ideal object of love’, by rendering gentle forms of black lovers’ images near and within romance.
The Rosebank community is encouraged to reserve February 14 for a solo project by Motlhoki Nono, Kissing Studies, in collaboration with David Krut, which will be displayed at The Blue House in Parkwood.
Motlhoki is a recipient of the Ernest Cole Award 2023 and embarked on her collaboration with David Krut Workshop in 2023 following a prestigious three-month residency with the Leipzig International Art Programme in Leipzig, Germany, in 2022 titled African Leipzig.
The director of David Krut Workshop Amé Bell said, “This exhibition serves as a profound reflection on the performance of the kiss, delving into the nuanced questions surrounding the constructions of romance. The artist confronts the ‘ideal object of love’ by rendering gentle forms of black lovers’ images near and within romance.”
Bell added in this playful series exploring black people speaking in tongues, the exhibitor aims to unravel the complex tapestry of love while scrutinising the historic representation of black characters across diverse romantic narratives.
Motlhoki undertakes the responsibility of portraying her subjects as active agents and central protagonists within romantic narratives. Each print represents an intimate portrait and contribution towards an archive of black romantic representations, capturing the essence of love in a tangible and interactive form.
Collaborating with David Krut Workshop printer, the artist began her experimentation with oil-based monotypes but swiftly evolved to encompass the realms of pronto lithography, hardground etching, and most notably, softground etching.
Motlhoki invites her black collaborators to imprint a kiss onto the soft ground of an etching plate and asks them to respond like eager lover.
The exhibition will take place at 151 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parkwood from 16:00 until 18:00.
