THONTON KABEYA
A Sunny Day

EVERARD READ FRANSCHHOEK | 1 April - 23 April

Please join us at 11am on Saturday the 1st of April to celebrate the opening of the exhibition. 

This new body of work was made during Thonton’s time at the Everard Read at Leeu Estates Residency in 2023.

Thonton Kabeya pushes the boundaries of the traditional mediums of paint and canvas by using new and experimental ways to create textures, depth, and balance of colour. He glues layers of canvas together which he then cuts, carves, and sculpts before painting; he finishes the work with transfers of ink from newspaper, carefully positioned to indicate the folds of moving fabric, and the application of a deep brown walnut powder (an old method of staining wooden furniture) to render skin, as well as balance the tonality of the work.

Inspired by the Congolese Rumba dance, architecture, and design, Kabeya’s practice seeks balance in composition, line, and colour in his three-dimensional work. He creates portraits of people and cities alike, bustling street scenes, and tender exchanges between individuals. His recent works have focused on an imaginary Rumba dance taking place in Franschhoek, inserting Rumba dancers in an unusual environment and social space, inspired by the culture surrounding this phenomenon. The Rumba music and dance originated primarily from Congo, then Cuba and Colombia, with Cuba having an important historical link to Africa through the trans-Atlantic slave trade. The Rumba gained enormous popularity in the rest of the world after the Cuban Revolution in 1960. The Rumba dance was recently added to UNESCO's intangible heritage list.

To request a catalogue please click HERE

EVERARD READ - 20 Huguenot Road
Franschhoek, 7690
South Africa
+27 21 876 2446 l fgallery@everard.co.za

Opening hours:
Monday – Sunday 09:30 - 17:00
Please contact us to make an appointment outside of these hours.