Johannesburg

STEVENSON is pleased to present iNtwasahlobo, a solo exhibition of paintings by Simphiwe Ndzube.

For his first exhibition in Johannesburg since 2021, Ndzube presents intimately scaled paintings on linen. iNtwasahlobo translates from isiXhosa as ‘spring’, referencing the central motifs and experiments with colour that characterise this body of work. Across this series, female figures are seen in surreal landscapes – watering plants, tending to soil and, most frequently, enjoying inqawe, a traditional smoking pipe typically reserved for ritual use among matriarchs. Ndzube states, ‘To sit and smoke is like breathing and relaxing, reflecting. It’s a place to contemplate, observe and share.’

The magical-realist pastoral scenes in iNtwasahlobo are rendered in vivid, even lurid tones, and are populated by enigmatic figures verging on the grotesque. Where After Rain Songs, Ndzube’s previous exhibition, articulated the tensions of a nation contending with freedom – rainbows juxtaposed with flames – iNtwasahlobo is the world that follows, burning in different ways. If the fire in After Rain Songs scorched all it touched, here, in Ndzube’s new spring, it is contained and used to signal an evolution. In Ndinibukele, a river of fire and water runs around the relaxed smoking figure who, undisturbed by the mixing of these elements, merely pets a cat in response.

iNtwasahlobo probes the complexities of change, growth and renewal, creating the necessary space for contemplation that follows tension. The setting however is no utopia, still holding an element of haunting with figures who keep their eyes closed, and lurking shadows in the background. Instead of the sculptural elements Ndzube often brings into play, these paintings offer a sustained engagement with texture and perspective, using organic forms and colour to give the impression of a layered landscape. Further situating the viewer, the artist iterates: ‘We’re now in the Eastern Cape, the kasi - I’m looking at those hills. We’re in the garden, in this fruitful blossoming season ...’

The exhibition opens Saturday 8 February, 10am to 1pm. Ndzube will give a walkabout of the exhibition on the day of the opening at 11am.