The best of July art indulgence

Heat Festival | Cape Town city centre

The inaugural Heat Festival in Cape Town features 14 curated art exhibitions complemented by jazz, opera, theatre and Kizomba dance programming. Its aim is to boost visitors to galleries in the city centre when art galleries and arts practitioners experience the lull of the winter season. Curated by Voni Baloyi, Mary Corrigal, Andrew Lamprecht, and Nkgopoleng Moloi, the theme of the festival is Common Ground. The featured artworks, exhibitions, conversations and walkabouts will reflect on community and collaboration.

The venues are intentionally all within walking distance of each other, enabling festival goers to navigate the offerings on foot encouraging connection between the spaces, and connection with the inner city. The festival allows the public to engage directly with some artists and curators during meet-the-artist events of which the first will be staged at the Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel. Among the galleries showing is Kalashnikovv Gallery in Cape Town with three solos featuring Muhwalo by Simon Moshapo Jr, The Botanic Gardens by Kylie Wentzel and Alikho Izulu? by Charity Vilakazi.

Heat Festival happens from July 11-21 at various art galleries in Cape Town's city centre.

Three solos by Madoda Fani, Adam Birch and King Houndekpinkou | Southern Guild Cape Town

Madoda Fani presents Madoda: Let Us Now Praise Famous Men - a new body of incised ceramic forms that challenge heteronormative narratives of the township Black man in SA. Hand-coiled, smoke-fired, meditative and rhythmic, the totemic works honour the men who have shaped Fani’s life and practice while celebrating the community and brotherhood that his name signifies. Adam Birch’s Like Something Almost Being Said features new functional sculpture and large-scale seating forks entirely hand-sculpted and crafted from locally felled alien trees. Ceramist King Houndekpinkou’s Six Prayers combines elements of science, pop culture, philosophy, mysticism and myth.

All three exhibitions will be on show at Southern Guild Cape Town until August 22. The gallery is open Monday to Friday 9am-5.30pm and Saturday 10am–2pm.

Then I Knew I Was Good at Painting | Iziko South African National Gallery

This is a retrospective of the legendary Dr Esther Mahlangu’s art and charts the course of her illustrious career. Now at more than 90 years old, with more than 50 years of professional painting experience, she is a true matriarch of the global art tribe — one of the greatest painters in the world today. Mahlangu’s artistry and global impact demonstrate that traditional storytelling and art are not just relevant, but essential in our modern age.

Then I Knew I Was Good at Painting is at Iziko South African National Gallery until August 11. The gallery is open Monday to Sunday 9am-5pm.

Pretty Brilliant | Berman Contemporary SA Art

Berman Contemporary is presenting the magic of female stories with an group exhibition of 10 female artists it represents: Amogelang Maepa, Athenkosi Kwinana, Chrisél Attewell, Cow Mash, DuduBloom More, Hazel Mphande, Lee-At Meyerov, Mellaney Roberts, Natalie de Morney and Odette Graskie. The female-led contemporary art gallery in Johannesburg tackles a multiplicity of issues that female practitioners face today encompassing a broad spectrum of sculpture, painting, video, photography and installation.

Pretty Brilliant is on at Berman Contemporary until July 21. The gallery is open Monday to Friday 9am-5.30pm and Saturday 9am-4.30pm.  

Exploring Figurative Expressions | Keys Art Mile

This is a group exhibition that delves into the depths of identity, memory and the human experience as depicted through the intricate portrayal of the human form. The featured artists are Tarien Engelbrecht; Nicolene Joffe; Samurai Farai; Mokoena Mositi; Masindi Mbolekwa; Edward Wakefield; Heike Allerton and Sue Martin.

Exploring Figurative Expressions is on at Origin Art, Keyes Art Mile until July 27.