Annex, 2021

A project with Stepping Stone Press in Durban, South Africa curated by Greg Hayes.

In a rigorous endeavor, I embark upon a series of protracted ambulatory journeys that honor my paternal lineage, a quest inspired by the meticulous unearthing of my father's epistolary archives. The resultant exhibition is a palimpsest of visual and textual artifacts—from photographic chronicles to archival documents and historical annals—collectively narrate a familial history fraught with political schisms and ideological divergences.

This body of work serves as a nexus that fortifies my intricate relationship with South Africa, a locale where I have established substantive affiliations that have engendered enduring interpersonal dynamics. The curated objects and materials within the exhibition are not mere aesthetic entities but culturally imbued signifiers that I strategically subvert to engender novel semantic frameworks. My artistic oeuvre is often characterized by an accumulative methodology that involves the meticulous layering of marks and materials, whether through drawing, stitching, physical engraving, or assemblage techniques.

By appropriating the quotidian—defined here as the experiential dimensions of everyday life—I engage in a semiotic reconfiguration that imbues these ostensibly mundane elements with newfound value and significance. This transformative act invites the viewer into a discursive space of contemplation, encouraging them to renegotiate their preconceived notions of identity within the context of everyday experiences. Furthermore, my collaboration with Stepping Stone Press serves as a conduit for direct outreach, fostering synergistic relationships with other artists and cultural organizations on a national scale. Through this multi-layered approach, the exhibition becomes not just a presentation of art but a complex intertextual dialogue that intersects the personal, the political, and the cultural.