Kemang Wa Lehulere

Fueled by a fear of performing (in his words, “I continue to do performance because it scares the shit out of me,”) Kemang Wa Lehulere uses performance, together with a range of media, including murals, painting, and installation, to plumb the troubled history of his native South Africa and the ongoing ramifications of Apartheid. Exposed to acting from an early age through work in front of and behind the scenes, he weaves narratives, at once open-ended and direct, out of marks and materials, actions, gestures, and bodies. For Wa Lehulere, collaboration is key. In 2007, he co-founded the Gugulective artist collective, and he often incorporates other people into his ever-evolving performances. “My practice […] has a lot to do with the various experiences that I have had throughout my life,” he explains. “Working in different forms with different people.”