On show throughout August and September, UJ Art Gallery presents a major new exhibition by Kagiso 'Pat' Mautloa, a veteran Joburg-based artist who is widely recognised as a pioneer of modernist painting in South Africa.

Central to Mautloa's practice is the study of life around him, particularly urban spaces and the people who populate them. In his painting, drawing, sculpture and printmaking Mautloa regularly visits themes that document the beats and rhythms of urban life and the imagined worlds of the people who reside in the city.

In his brightly coloured and textured canvases Mautloa makes innovative use of found objects – often discarded refuse found in the city – brought together with abstract styles and textures to capture and communicate the complexities of everyday urban life. Distinctly socio-political, this latest exhibition interrogates and explores what it means to "belong" in a city like Johannesburg, unpacking notions of identity and power and how the city's shifting and often shadowy dynamics impact on the everyday lives of the people who walk its streets.

In this series of new works, that encompass a variety of mediums, the artist presents what UJ Art Gallery curator Thabo Seshoka describes as a “well-composed symphony of urban life”, exploring how "individuals create a sense of identity and belonging within the confines of unequal power relations, where some benefit from their subjugation”.

Exhibition opening event  The exhibition presents an official launch event on Sat Aug 6 at 11:00. RSVP here to attend the exhibition opening event.

UJ Art Gallery is open 09:00-16:00, closed Sat and Sun. Note that the gallery is located within the University of Johannesburg campus and to gain access to the campus you need to show your Covid-19 vaccine certificate.