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You might have driven past the contemporary building with its signature red metalwork on busy Jan Smuts Avenue, en route to Dunkeld from Rosebank, and wondered what's inside? Stop by for a visit and you'll discover the 223 Creative Hub, consisting of two galleries – Candice Berman and Berman Contemporary, a small residency space known as The Creatory, and some seriously stand-out local design. There are artist blankets from Something Good Studio and striking knitwear by Romaria. It's also the largest showroom for Magicode in Africa, (sales partner of modular Swiss furniture brand USM).
223 Creative Hub is a unique space in the city with its ever-changing roster of exciting group and solo exhibitions, artist activations, and special events. At the beginning of every month, this showstopper venue comes alive for First Thursdays. You'll want to take your time here, whenever you visit – there are two floors of art and objects to explore.
Below, we give you a guide to what's currently on show at 223 Creative Hub, from Claire Lichtenstein's evocative and abstract paintings in (e)mersion to Hazel Mphande and Kamogelo Machaba's dual show exploring personal identity through the lens of hair, Strand by Strand. Playful artist Emma Rose Marshall moves into The Creatory space, while Something Good Studio has winning young designers on display.
To stay in the loop, follow @223jansmuts_creativehub on Instagram.
(e)mersion by Claire Lichtenstein at Candice Berman Gallery
Photo: 223 Jan Smuts Creative Hub.
The exhibition, (e)mersion, is inspired by the serene and raw landscape of the Western Cape town of Wilderness, where painter Claire Lichtenstein lives. Drawing out the title, the artist explores themes of immersion, emergence, and emotion. Combining the sanctuary she's found in her place of residence with the sanctuary she finds in painting, Lichtenstein says, "In many ways, Wilderness and painting are mirrors for each other – places where I am free to explore, express, and create. Each holds a piece of my story, and together they bring me closer to discovering who I truly am". As part of this show, Lichtenstein also presents a collection of paint sculptures entitled Flowers That Grow from Difficult Places. Created out of a personal trauma, this series illuminates her journey of growth and healing.
See (e)mersion at Candice Berman Gallery, on the ground floor of 223 Creative Hub. The closing date is yet to be announced; follow @candicebermangallery on Instagram for updates.
Strand by Strand by Hazel Mphande and Kamogelo Machaba at Berman Contemporary
Artists Kamogelo Machaba and Hazel Mphande come together for a deeply personal exploration in Strand by Strand, an aptly titled exhibition that points to the poignancy of something we often take for granted: hair. Particularly the hair of black women and the journeys and politics surrounding it. Closely intertwined with the legacy of colonisation, slavery, and systemic injustice, the history of black women's hair is central to black identity. It brings to the fore Eurocentric standards of beauty and the stigmatisation of black hair as "unruly" or "unprofessional"; the widespread use of chemical relaxers, hot combs, and other treatments have been some responses to these oppressive ideals.
While discrimination still exists, the rise of the natural hair movement has been a powerful reclamation for many, with women embracing and emphasising their natural locks. Yet as the exhibition text states, "Ongoing tension between personal identity, cultural pride, and societal expectations continues to shape the way black women experience and express themselves through their hair." Featuring the floral-inspired headpieces of multidisciplinary artist Machaba and the photography of Mphande, Strand by Strand is an endeavour to reclaim black hair as a source of pride, strength, and beauty.
See Strand By Strand at Berman Contemporary on the upper floor of 223 Creative Hub until Sun, Jun 22. Follow @bermancontemporary on Instagram for updates.
Emma Rose Marshall is artist-in-residence at The Creatory
The quirky Emma Rose Marshall moves her practice to 223 Creative Hub's residency space, The Creatory. Marshall works across a variety of media, including hand-drawn illustrations, textured ink works, and digital animations. She is drawn to chaos, the curious, and the bizarre, using her work to explore the intersections between humour and introspection. "I let the story take the lead... and follow it wherever it dares to go," she says. Her offbeat narratives are visually striking and emotionally stirring.
During her time at The Creatory, guests are invited to join Marshall and become part of her artistic journey. Visit her weekly every Tue – Sun from 09:00 – 17:00 until Sun, May 10. Follow @spunkyrose.studio for more.
Meet Something Good Studio's winning young designers
Photo: Something Good Studio.
Out of 20 finalists, four winning designers have come out tops in Something Good Studio's 2024/2025 Young Designer Competition (open to South African creatives 25 years and under). The work of these top entrants, responding to the theme Inside Out, is on display at 223 Creative Hub. One of the winning products has already launched and is available for purchase: Madison Gordon's playful Crazy Creatures Midi Blanket – also available online here. A full capsule collection is in the works, follow @smtnggoodstudio on Instagram for more details.
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