PRESS RELEASE: Tšhipa E Taga Mohlabeng Wa Gayo – Mid-Career Survey Exhibition by Chepape Makgato
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Polokwane Art Museum Presents Chepape Makgato’s Mid-Career Survey Exhibition Honouring the Legacy of Es’kia Mphahlele
The Polokwane Art Museum proudly announces the opening of Tšhipa E Taga Mohlabeng Wa Gayo, a mid-career survey exhibition by acclaimed artist, curator, and art writer Chepape Makgato, on Thursday, 11 December 2025. This landmark exhibition coincides with the 106th birthday anniversary of the late Professor Es’kia Mphahlele, whose philosophical and literary contributions profoundly shaped Makgato’s artistic and intellectual formation.
Father Of African Humanism, Mixed Media on Canvas, 90cm x 72cm, 2019
The opening also coincides with the Mapungubwe Arts Festival, a major annual highlight on the Limpopo Province’s cultural calendar. Though independent of the festival, the timing symbolically aligns with the spirit of artistic celebration and heritage that the festival represents. For Makgato who was the inaugural recipient of the Mapungubwe Visual Artist of the Year Award in 2016, the first and only year the award recognised artists across multiple categories, this exhibition marks a deeply meaningful homecoming and full-circle moment in his career.
The Sepedi title Tšhipa E Taga Mohlabeng Wa Gayo translates as a person’s home is the most comfortable place, encapsulating the exhibition’s themes of belonging, ancestry, and return. Presenting work produced over sixteen years, this major exhibition marks Makgato’s 19th solo exhibition and his first large-scale solo presentation in his hometown of Polokwane. It brings together an extensive selection of works spanning painting, printmaking, sculpture, collage, video, and installation, many being shown together for the first time. The exhibition also includes a curated selection of Makgato’s art journalism and critical writing, reflecting his dual identity as both practitioner and chronicler of South African visual culture.
Over the past decade and a half, Chepape Makgato’s career trajectory has positioned him among South Africa’s leading mid-career artists. His work has been exhibited widely both locally and internationally in countries including France, the United States, and the United Kingdom and features in prominent public and private collections. Through both his artistic and curatorial practice, Makgato has consistently championed the use of art as a tool for education, community empowerment, and decolonial expression.
Curatednnn n nn by Happy Dhlame, Gadi Magagane and Amos Letsoalo, the exhibition embodies a collaborative curatorial vision that mirrors the artist’s ethos of mentorship, dialogue, and cultural reclamation. Togethernnnnnnnnnb, the curators trace a visual narrative that honours African memory, humanism, and resilience echoing Es’kia Mphahlele’s cbnnnall for the restoration of African consciousness through creative expression.
Delivering the keynote address at the opening will be Dr Thebe Ikalafeng, a distinguished pan-African thought leader, branding strategist, and cultural advocate. His participation underscores the exhibition’s resonance with broader continental convernsations on creativity, identity, and heritage.
“Returning home to Polokwane for this exhibition feels like a full circle, a moment to honour my roots, my mentors, and the enduring spirit of Es’kia Mphahlele, whose teachings continue to guide my journey as an artist and cultural worker,” says Makgato.
Talking about this seminal homecoming exhibition, the curatorial team remarked:
“Tšhipa E Taga Mohlabeng Wa Gayo” is an exhibition anchored in the generational continuum of making, remembering, and returning. In this body of work, Chepape nnnMakgato draws deeply from the clay of his art idol Professor Es'kia Mphahlele and ancestral lineages, particularly the legacy of his great great grandmother, Maganyane (Mpedi) Makgato (1800s), whose hands shaped vessels from Lelema of the Kopo River in Botlokwa region. Her artistry, carried through memory and practice, forms the ancestral bedrock upon which this exhibition stands. The title, drawn from Sepedi, affirms a profound truth: that material, like human experience, always returns to its source. The earth remembers. The body remembers. The archive, formal and informal, remembers"
In bringing together these works, the curatorial team affirm Makgato’s commitment to art that is rooted, rigorous, and resonant. His practice demonstrates how the past, when engaged with ethically and imaginatively, becomes fertile ground for new artistic possibilities. This exhibition is not merely a body of artworks; it is a homecoming, a remembrance, and a renewal of the creative energies that reside in the soil of one’s origins.
About the Artist
Chepape Makgato is a multi-award winning independent visual artist, arts writer, and curator, currently serving as Chief Curator at the William Humphreys Art Gallery in Kimberley. He is the Chairperson of the South African Museums Association (Central Region: Free State and Northern Cape) and serves on the Acquisition Committee of ArtBank South Africa. Makgato holds a Master’s Degree in Fine Art from the University of the Witwatersrand and is completing his PhD in Art and Music at UNISA. He is a Research Fellow in the Faculty of Humanities at Sol Plaatje University and the 2026 Senior Artist Fellow at the Leuphana Institute of Advanced Studies, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Germany.
About the Curators
Gadi Magagane is a Limpopo-born curator, facilitator, and fashion designer whose work explores the intersections of art, culture, and design. Adopting a multidisciplinary approach, she creates spaces and designs that weave together storytelling, creativity, and community engagement. Her practice champions collaboration and celebrates the dynamism and evolution of contemporary African expression.
Happy Dhlame is a South African artist, curator, and educator whose practice bridges creativity and community engagement. With roots in Soweto’s Pimville and the Vaal, his work reflects a deep commitment to fostering artistic dialogue. He has exhibited locally and internationally, and as a curator, has organised exhibitions with international partners including LINX Projects and the Apter Art Collection in Miami. A co-founder of LINX Projects with Olivier Company, Dhlame continues to champion platforms that connect African art to global audiences.
Amos Letsoalo is a South African visual artist and curator based in Polokwane, where he serves as the Senior Curator at the Polokwane Art Museum. His practice explores themes of spirituality, identity, and collective memory, often drawing inspiration from Northern Sotho cultural traditions. Through his curatorial work, Letsoalo is dedicated to nurturing emerging talent and advancing contemporary visual arts in Limpopo. He continues to play a pivotal role in positioning the museum as a hub for artistic innovation and community engagement in the province.
About the Opening Speaker
Dr Thebe Ikalafeng is a globally respected pan-African branding authority, strategist, author and thought leader whose work champions African excellence and identity. He is the founder of Brand Leadership Group and the Brand Africa movement, initiatives that have redefined how African nations, businesses, and people present themselves to the world. Recognised among the 100 Most Influential Africans by New African Magazine, Dr Ikalafeng has received numerous awards for his contributions to marketing and leadership across the continent. A sought-after speaker and advisor, he continues to advocate for authentic African narratives and the advancement of creative industries across Africa.
Exhibition Details
Opening Reception: Thursday, 11 December 2025, 18:00
Venue: Polokwane Art Museum, Polokwane
Exhibition Dates: 11 December 2025 – 28 February 2026
Admission: Free and open to the public
Amos Letsoalo
Polokwane Art Museum
Email: AmosL@polokwane.gov.za | Tel: 0152902578
Media Interviews:
Chepape Makgato kaycee.chepape@gmail.com
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