Artist Proof Studio’s exhibition marking 35 years is a platform for collecting quality art and spotting fresh, emerging talent
Artist Proof Studio at 35: A continuing commitment to artists, access and excellence.
By Edward Tsumele, CITYLIFE/ARTS Editor
When we arrived our curiosity was triggered by a group of young people at the front who were busy working some sort of machine. WE did not think much about it till we were ushered into the exhibition hall by Strauss &Co.’s Senior Art Specialist and Head Curator, Wilhelm van Rensburg, accompanied by well-known academic and artist Professor Kim Berman. Once inside the exhibition hall, where we set our eyes on the wonderful art works that donned almost the gigantic Strauss& Co. Gallery in Houghton, Johannesburg, we then, learned that the young people we had seen outside, were actually artists at work. They were current students at the Artist Proof Studio, doing print making as a way of demonstration of what students at Artist Studio have been doing successfully in the past 35 years.
As our attention was brought back to the exhibition in the hall, which marks 35 years of art making by Artist Proof Studio, our eyes once again, were focussed on the work on walls.
The opening was indeed great. The art is quite revealing, especially the early works of some of the now big names, as well as the new emerging artists that are coming through the doors of APS. The mix of both the now established and the young ones, I thought, was a smart way of curating this exhibition, which in many respects represents the journey that APS has travelled in the past 35 years.
These artists are a unique demography in a country that is known for both achieving globally notable milestones in different aspects of life, such as in academia, sport and of course the arts. But sadly, South Africa with its complicated history of racial discrimination that included racial exclusivities, including in education, is still notoriously known for a high level of inequality, In equality in society is said to be the highest in the world. Black people were during apartheid, excluded from realizing their full potential, including in the arts, with formal education in art at public universities not open to black learners during apartheid.
In fact the existence of Artist Proof Studio, co-founded by Berman and the late Nhlanhla Xaba, owes its existence to plug that gap. It gave access to learners from formally disadvantaged backgrounds, such as those from the township. The school is relevant today, just as it was during apartheid as not everyone who would like to study art formally at university is accommodated. The art school, which since its founding has been located at various locations in Newtown, with its current home being in Houghton, has done exceptionally well in fulfilling its mission of art education provision to the targeted demography. This is a group that would have been left out from grabbing art opportunities had the school not been founded.
Today in democratic South Africa, APS is still standing, even thriving as it has increasingly become a pathway for especially black learners from the township to gain university formal education in art. Those who have completed courses at APS often proceed to enroll at universities such as University of Johannesburg and Wits, to further their education.
Others however, after finishing their studies at APS, go straight to practice commercially. Artists such as Mbambo Sibiya, Nelson Makamu and Blssing Ngobeni, household names on the contemporary art scene in South Africa, with their work highly prized possession in today’s art market, high up the ladder as the secondary market, have gone through the doors of APS, just to name a few.
Some of these artists’ work are part of this current exhibition marking the 35 years of APS’s existence, and the good news is that almost all the works, with the exception of a few, are on sale, and therefore available for purchase. These are works one should consider buying, especially because they are mainly constituted by works the artists created early in their career. This exhibition is also a platform where one can scout for new talent and whose work is reasonably priced.
After all, you may not know, among this current crop of participating students, there might be a Blessing Ngobeni, Nelson Makamu or Mbambo Sibiya, that one can acquire at a reasonable price. We therefore, strongly recommend that those interested in collecting art must browse through the exhibition meticulously, noting especially those among the crop of young artists who show potential. These are artists who, in the near future, will form part of the art narrative of the country, and therefore, it is wise to collect them when you can still afford them.
“Strauss & Co is proud to announce the tenth annual Legacy Exhibition at its Houghton premises, celebrating the enduring influence of South African modernists on contemporary artists. Previous exhibitions have paired figures such as Dorothy Kay with Mary Sibande (2023), and Gerard Sekoto with Lena Hugo (2025).
This year, the exhibition honours the remarkable work of Artist Proof Studio (APS) as the institution marks its 35th anniversary. Titled Artist Proof Studio at 35: A Continuing Commitment to Artists, Access and Excellence, the exhibition celebrates APS’s lasting impact on printmaking, mentorship and artistic opportunity in South Africa.
Opening on 9 March 2026, the exhibition brings together over 50 distinguished APS alumni. Each artist is featured through a detailed biographical profile, a linocut portrait printed by the current student body, an early print, and a recent work, offering a powerful view of artistic development over time. Interviews conducted by Maru Attwood form the foundation of the profile texts, while many alumni returned to APS over the past three weekends to pull new prints especially for the exhibition.
The point is this March 2026, APS marks 35 years as one of South Africa’s most influential public benefit arts education organisations. Founded in 1991 at a pivotal historical moment, the studio was conceived as an open-access art centre grounded in equality, social justice and opportunity, challenging exclusionary arts education systems by centering artists’ lived experience and creative agency.
“Artist Proof Studio was founded on the belief that creativity, imagination and technical skill can open possibilities where there are few,” saysBerman, Co-Founder of Artist Proof Studio. “Our work has always been about building a learning environment where artists are supported to develop their practice, while imagining new futures for themselves and their communities.”
Rooted in Ubuntu, APS has trained more than 400 artists over three and a half decades, many previously excluded from formal study. Its alumni are now recognised as artists, master printmakers, educators and cultural leaders, reflecting the impact of alternative education models that prioritise access, collaboration and sustainability.
Internationally respected for technical excellence and innovation, the studio’s professional workshop has co-published editions with emerging and established artists including William Kentridge, Mary Sibande, Bambo Sibiya and Philemon Hlungwane.
APS’s history is also one of resilience. After a devastating 2003 fire that destroyed much of the studio and claimed the life of co-founder Nhlanhla Xaba, the organisation rebuilt and continued to grow, relocating to its current home in Houghton in 2020.
Marking this milestone, APS at 35 forms part of a multi-year anniversary programme running from 2026 to 2028, including travelling exhibitions across all nine provinces, publications and expanded opportunities for artists. At its core are the voices and practices of APS alumni and current students, underscoring a legacy that remains active and forward-looking.
The anniversary exhibition is presented in collaboration with Strauss & Co, reflecting the importance of partnership within the arts ecosystem, particularly as public funding for the arts continues to decline.
A timed online auction of select prints from the APS archives and alumni is currently running (9 March to 17 April.)
Says van Rensburg. “At 35, Artist Proof Studio continues to evolve, guided by the artists it supports and the futures they are shaping. Its legacy is not confined to the past, but remains an active, unfolding commitment to access, imagination and collaboration. This is a legacy exhibition in the true sense of the word.”
Exhibition Details
• The exhibition is open to the public during the week: Monday to Friday from 9:00 – 16h00. Address: Strauss & Co, 89 Central St, Houghton
• Opening reception: Monday, 9 March 17:30 for 18:00
• A panel discussion and exhibition walkabout will take place on Saturday, 14 March 2026 from 11:00 – 13:00. The panel will feature Kim Berman, APS alumni artists and international partners.
• Teacher Workshop: Wednesday, 25 March, 10:00 – 12:00