(b. 1978, Johannesburg, South Africa)

Born in Johannesburg in 1978, Turiya Magadlela’s work balances politically charged narratives with exquisite aesthetic. Through the stitching, layering and collaging of commonly found objects, such as correctional uniforms and pantyhose, Magadlela creates powerful, original art pieces. Magadlela herself has been quoted as saying, ‘I make my work from my personal life experiences. I don’t make social or political commentary. Should my work seem or look political, that makes me happy. I always want to leave it open to the viewer’s personal interpretation, and I find that talking about a work you made or writing about it narrows down the meaning that it is supposed to have.’

 Magadlela studied at the Funda Community College (1998), the University of Johannesburg (1999 – 2001), and the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam (2003-2004). She has had seven solo exhibitions to date, including at the Johannesburg Art Gallery in 2015. Most recently, she presented Wabona lapho isifebe, wangena kuso at blank projects in 2017.She has participated in numerous group exhibitions, both locally and internationally, including Blue Black, curated by Glenn Ligon (Pulitzer Arts Foundation, 2017), Simple Passion, Complex Vision: The Darryl Atwell Collection (Gantt Centre, 2017), The Past is Present (Jack Shainman Gallery, 2017), Les jour qui vient, curated by Marie-Ann Yemsi (Galerie des Galeries, 2017), Blackness in Abstraction (Pace Gallery, 2016) and The Quiet Violence of Dreams (Stevenson, 2016). In 2015, she was awarded the prestigious FNB Art Prize.

CV

1978 Born Johannesburg, South Africa

EDUCATION

2003- 04   Post-graduate Research Study, Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten, Netherlands

1999 -01   National Diploma of Fine Arts, University of Johannesburg

1998         Certificate in Fine Arts, Funda Community College, Johannesburg

1997         Matriculated from the National School of the Arts, Johannesburg

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2017         Wabona lapho isifebe, wangena kuso, blank projects, Cape Town

2015         Impilo ka Lova, blank projects, Cape Town

2015         Kaffersheet, Johannesburg Art Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa

2015         Imihuzuko (for the FNB Art Prize),  FNB Joburg Art Fair

2012         Everybody knows uFeela, blank projects, Cape Town

2003         Young Artist Award, Goethe Institute, Johannesburg

2001-02   Activate Architects, Johannesburg

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2019         Material Insanity, Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden (MACAAL) Marrakech, Morocco

2018         Jean-François Prat Prize, Bredin Prat Foundation, Paris

                 blank, Galerie Guido W. Baudach, Berlin

                 More for less, A4 Arts Foundation, Cape Town, South Africa

2017         17, blank projects, Cape Town

                 A Painting Today, Stevenson, Cape Town, South Africa

                 Looking Back, Moving Forward, Constitutional Hill, Johannesburg, South Africa

                 Blue Black, curated by Glenn Ligon, Pulitzer Arts Foundation, St Louis MO

                 Simple Passion, Complex Vision: The Darryl Atwell Collection, Gantt Centre, Charlotte NC

                 The Past is Present, Jack Shainman Gallery, New York

                 Les jour qui vient, curated by Marie-Ann Yemsi, Galerie des Galeries, Paris

2016         Blackness in Abstraction, Pace Gallery, New York

                 The Quiet Violence of Dreams , Stevenson, Johannesburg

                 3 881 days, blank lab, Cape Town

                 Figure, blank projects, Cape Town

2015         Furniture: a sculpture exhibition, blank projects, Cape Town

                  Back to the Future II: Abstract Art in South Africa: Past & Present, SMAC Gallery, Stellenbosch

                 Furniture, blank projects, Cape Town

2014         The Poetry In Between: South-South, Goodman Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa

                 next thing you know, blank projects, Cape Town

                 Half-devil and half-child, blank projects, Cape Town

2013         This is the thing, blank projects, Cape Town

                 blank projects in Johannesburg, Ithuba Arts Gallery, Johannesburg

                 Weerberig / Weather report, curated by Luan Nel, Aardklop Festival, Potchefstroom

2012         When Form Becomes Attitude, blank projects, Cape Town

2006         De Grote Oversteek, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands

2004         Rijksakademie Open Ateliers, Amsterdam, Netherlands

2001-02    Activate Architects, Johannesburg

2001         ABSA L ‘Atelier Exhibition, Johannesburg

                 Museum Africa, Johannesburg

                  Generator’s Art Space, Arts Alive, Johannesburg

AWARDS, STIPENDS, FELLOWSHIPS AND RESIDENCIES

2015         FNB Joburg Art Prize

2004-05    Residency, Rijksakademie Van Beeldende Kunsten

2004-05    Dutch Ministry of Arts and Culture

2004         National Arts Council of South Africa

2003-04    National Ministry of Arts Culture, Science and Technology, South Africa

2003         Goethe Institut and Johannesburg Art Gallery Young Artist Award

2002         ABSA L’Atelier, selected as Top 100 Best National Artists

SELECTED ESSAYS + REVIEWS

2017  Turiya Magadlela selected by Sue Williamson, 2018 Future Greats‘ by Sue Williamson, Art Review

2015  In Conversation with Turiya Magadlela,’ by Chad Roussouw, Art Throb

2015 Art born of shared pain and pantyhose,’ by Stefanie Jason, Mail & Guardian

2015 Artist Showcase: Remaking the Material World,’  by Mary Corrigall, The Times

2015  Sheets of Imprisonment: Turiya Magadlela’s Kaffersheet‘, by Mpho Moshe Matheolane, Art Throb

2015 FNB JoburgArtFair: Art Prize Winner, Turiya Magadlela talks working from the inside out’ by Layla Leiman, Between 10 and 5