Nokukhanya Langa
BIO | SELECTED WORKS
Nokukhanya Langa’s (1991, USA/ZA) work also leaves room for different possibilities, opportunities and (time) perspectives. In her art practice she reconciles the pluralities of her personal story with political and cultural history. Curious to know if there are other ways to take hold of it, her work is an exploration of figuration and abstraction, an inquiry into the loss of the image, and by extension, of reality in general.
Exhibition view ‘Future Tense of the Past’ (2021) w/ Almudena Lobera, Nokukhanya Langa and Ellen Pil, Barbé Urbain gallery, Gent
Intuitively the artist balances these abstractions with more figuratively recognizable motifs: text, signs and drawings that are midway between cavemen drawings, sketches, scribbles, grafitti tags, signal signs and signatures. Constantly shifting back and forth between figuration and abstraction, Langa’s work is never simply unambiguous, finished or determined. On the contrary, by fading in and out, blurring, dismantling and building up, it is in a constant process of becoming.
CV
NOKUKHANYA LANGA (USA/ZA, 1991)
Education
2021 HISK / Ghent, BE
2018 MA Painting (Cum Laude / Frank Mohr Institute / Groningen, NL
2017 MFA Exchange / Hunter College / NYC
2014 Industrial Welding Certification / OPJCC / India
2013 BA Studio Art (Honors) / Moravian College / PA
Awards/Grants
2022
Mondrian Project Grant
2021
CoCA Art Commission
2019
Mondriaan Fond / Stipendum for Emerging Artists
2018
Shortlisted / George Verberg Stipend
2016
Holland Scholarship / Dutch Ministry of Education / Culture, and Science
Solo Exhibitions
2022
There’s a ghost in every town / Saatchi Yates Gallery / London, UK
A downward spiral is a loaded spring / Kunstinstituut Melly / Rotterdam, NL
2021
NADA Project Space / NYC, US
Baby I’m not even here. I’m a hallucination / Ballon Rouge Collective / Brussels, BE
2019
About what, Galerie Van Gelder / Amsterdam, NL
2018
From Here, Now / Galerie van Gelder / Amsterdam, NL
Selected Group Exhibitions
2022
With a little help from hell / Frankfurt, DE
Sweet Harmony, Het Hem / Amsterdam, NL
Abstracted / Saatchi Yates, UK
Ballroom Projects / Barbe Urbain / Antwerp, BE
I’m Nobody! Who are you? / DASH / Kortrijk, BE
The spatial analogy / Kunstliefde / Utrecht, NL
We are all guests / Foundation B.a.d / Rotterdam, NL
An Assembly / Ballon Rouge / Brussels, BE
Move the curtains / Collection KVG / Den Hague, Nl
2021
HISK / Laureate show / Brussels, BE
With permission from the officer / Amsterdam, NL
Frieze London / Stevenson Gallery / UK
NowBelgiumNow / Antwerp, BE
XL / Barbe Urbain / Ghent, BE
Sonsbeek conjunctions 20>24 / Arnhem, NL
Prospects and Concepts / Art Rotterdam, NL
CRYPTID / Curated by Leo Chesneau / Greece
HISK Affair / Brussels, BE
BXL X Emergent / Ballon Rouge Collective / BE
Art is Rattattatting / Galerie van Gelder / Amsterdam, NL
Regenerate / WIELS / Brussels, BE
Tarot Editions / O19 / Ghent, BE
Hypermarket / Kunsthal / Ghent, BE
New Songs for Old Cities / Netwerk / Aalst, BE
Future tense of the past / Barbe Urbain / Ghent, BE
2020
6 Degrees / Liebaert Projects / Ballon Rouge Collective / Kortrijk, BE
DUST: The plates of present / Center Pompidou / Paris, FR
Amuse Bouche / Utrecht, NL
Salon des Artistes / Ronse, BE
Art Rotterdam / Galerie van Gelder / Rotterdam, NL
Museum Nienoord, NL
2019
Slaap Lekker Studio / Galerie van Gelder / Amsterdam, NL
Re:Sume / Re:Search Gallery / Groningen, NL
Art Rotterdam / Galerie Van Gelder / Rotterdam, NL
Aanwas V / Galerie Noord / Groningen, NL
2018
Frankenstein’s Backpack / WORM / Rotterdam, NL
Buiten Westen / Deventer, NL
INTOTO 6 / Fondation d’entreprise Ricard / Paris, FR
Headliners / The Sugar Factory / Groningen, NL
Sad Alchemy / Paul van Eerden / Museum de Buitenplaats / Eelde, NL
2017
Open studio MFA / Hunter College / New York, NY, USA
Fomo / De Nieuwe Kolk / Assen, NL
A State of Mind / Haus34a (curated by Marc Bijl) / Bad Bentheim, DE
Publications
2022
Exhibition catalogue / Saatchi Yates
HISK laureates / Various positions
2021
OKV
Subbacultcha
Jegens & Tevens
Best of Times, Worst of Times / HISK
Sonsbeek 20>24 / Catalogue
Prospects and Concepts Catalogue 2021
Collect Magazine
Hart magazine: Angazi, but I’m sure*
2020
DUST: The Plates of the Present Catalogue / Spector Books
Kunstmagazine / Nr. 7 Zomer 2020
Public Collections
DUST: The plates of present / a project co-founded by Thomas Fougeirol and Jo-ey Tang / permanent collection of the Centre Pompidou / Paris, FR
Mu.ZEE. / Ostende, BE
M HKA / Antwerp, BE
IKOB / Eupen, BE
S.M.A.K. / Gent, BE
Other
2022
Madrigals Scenography / by Benjamin Abel Meirhaeghe curated by Koi Persyn / BE
2020
Guest Lecturer / HKU / Utrecht, NL
Curator / VHDG / Soundandclear.today / NL
2019
Programming team / VHDG / Leeuwarden, NL
Curator / Back to Mohr / Artphy / Groningen, NL
2016
StArt India / Mural Production / New Delhi, IN
Installation team / Asim Waqif / Indian Art Fair / Nature Morte Gallery / New Delhi, IN