Painter Zanele Montle explores the concept of belonging in her solo exhibition

This exhibition which opens on October 2, 2021, 11am to 3pm at 54 the Valley Road, Parktown, Johannesburg, was produced during a residency at End Street Studios, August House, Johannesburg.

By CityLife Arts Writer

Zanele Montle the inaugural winner of the 2021 Womxn to Watch Award has been busy for the past six months this year at a specially dedicated studio at August House, End Street, Stdios, Johannesburg.

Part of the pecks of winning the award is to spend six months working in a studio dedicated to the artist as well as receiving support from the organisers, and then produce a body of work to exhibit after the residency. It is this body of work that the artist produced during that time that will be exhibited, opening on October 2, 2021, at 54 Valley Road, Parktown.

Entitled Belonging, this exhibition seeks to explore concepts of belonging. By its definition belong is a sense of fitting in or feeling like you are an important member of a group. A feeling of belonging describes this sense of truly fitting or meshing.

These groups can range from geographic location, to race, to gender, to family and friends. Zanele unpicks this concept through a new body of work that will be presented at this solo exhibition. She says about this body of work “I am interested in how we relate to the people around us, be it family, people we don't know or just in society and looking at how different environments play a role in shaping our identity and how these factors influence our sense of belonging”

By presenting individuals either alone or together, as featureless individuals, the artist asks the viewer to see themselves as the characters presented in the work. Through the “blacked out” body, the artist allows for any person of any gender, race or age to see themselves within the context presented. Using clothing the artist unpicks how it too can also influence our sense of identity and locates the viewer with an everyman experience.

Zanele was born and raised in a small town in Empangeni. She and her eight siblings were raised by her single parent. She did her primary schooling in Empangeni Prep and High school in Empangeni High school where she matriculated in 2010 with a distinction in Visual Art. She furthered her studies at the University of Johannesburg and

graduated for her National Diploma in Visual Art then completed her BTech at Tshwane University of Technology. In 2015, her work was selected in the Thami Mnyele Art Awards to appear in their top 100 exhibition. In 2017 she was a gallery manager at the Hazard Gallery. She has a Post Graduate qualification in art education and is currently working as an art educator and a painter.

Womxn to Watch Award

Initiated by the META foundation, in partnership with the Project Space and End Street Studios that award annually sees  one top performing, South African womxn artist  selected to receive this award. The award aims to shine a light on the top womxn talent in South Africa. Artists from across the country are able to apply for the award.

The award provides the artist with the following for a period of 6 months: a studio space, at End Street Studios, which includes parking, electricity and water and uncapped internet the opportunities to participate in any group exhibitions curated by the META foundation the opportunity to participate in any August House activities  a solo show with the Project Space featured (included in) August House/Meta foundation website and publicity materials.