On Friday evening, August 14, the renowned fine artist marked the occasion at Thapong Visual Arts Centre with XLVIII. He attracted painting enthusiasts for an exhibition that brought together 48 works that move between familiar subjects, new artistic directions and pieces completed in the weeks leading up to the opening. For Ngoni, the urge to exhibit was difficult to resist. “I could not contain my happiness. I could not contain myself in the studio. I really had to be in a gallery. My life is in galleries,” he told guests at the opening.
The sentiment captured the spirit of the exhibition, which felt as much like a celebration of Ngoni’s relationship with painting as it did a birthday gathering. Eight of the 48 works were new, completed in July and August, giving visitors an opportunity to see where the artist’s practice is currently taking him. Alongside them were works that have become recognisable within his body of work, particularly his realistic depictions of Batswana life. People, places and everyday cultural moments remain central to Ngoni’s visual language. His ability to translate familiar experiences onto canvas has been one of the defining features of his work, giving his paintings an immediacy that audiences can readily connect with. But there is also movement within the practice.
