Absa X Artist Proof Studio

Absa and Artist Proof Studio to host virtual exhibition and masterclasses

Absa launches their latest virtual exhibition, Body – Place – Space, in collaboration with the Artist Proof Studio (APS) on 4 November 2021. The exhibition will run until the end of this year. 

With this collaboration, Absa seeks to continue playing a role in shaping society by nurturing and
supporting fledgling artists from the APS. Twelve final year students will also be awarded bursaries to
the value of R580 000. 

Leading personalities in the arts such as Banele Khoza, Kim Siew and Sarah McGee will lead Business Practice Masterclasses. The masterclasses will equip the APS students with the necessary business acumen to manage their business better as they launch their careers and market their artwork.

The virtual exhibition will see 23 innovative and engaged APS community artists showcasing their artwork on the platform.

“We recognise that the growth we want to achieve is inextricably linked to our firm commitment to be an active force for good in the communities where we operate. The partnership with APS will allow us to continue showcasing our advanced online capabilities and will also help us to meaningfully impact the development of young artists,” Absa Senior Specialist Art Curator, Dr Paul Bayliss.

“We have used the restrictions brought about by the pandemic to entrench ourselves as a leader in showcasing art digitally. This ranges from launching the Absa Art Hot Spot webinar series to hosting several online art exhibitions, masterclasses, and the Absa L’Atelier Awards virtually, as well as migrating certain elements of our art-related sponsorships and partnerships to this innovative online platform,” he adds.

APS Managing Director for Marketing and Business Development, Nathi Simelane, says this partnership with Absa will allow them to showcase some of their growth in an exciting way since students have had to adapt to a hybrid communication learning process over the past 18 months.

“This exhibition will allow our more senior students to re-examine their own identities, through an investigation of their cultural ideologies, practices, personal and collective histories,” he says.

“Some will celebrate and honour fundamental aspects of their cultural identities whilst others question prevailing patriarchal traditions. In many of the pieces, the ‘personal’ is laid bare. This is sometimes explored through representations of the body or a particular place and space. The notion of ‘home’ as a state of mind, or something less representative and tangible, emerges in the senior student’s work. It marks and narrates a journey experienced by many through lockdown and beyond of introspection, probing and reconciliation,” he adds. 

The Masterclass series kicked off on 29 September when renowned artist, gallerist, and curator, Banele Khoza, hosted a session that focused on developing, identifying, maintaining, and making the most of opportunities during the development of an artist’s career.

The next session, hosted by Kim Siew on 27 October, dealt with maintaining and growing relationships with peers, gallerists, curators, donors, buyers, and industry leaders.

Sarah McGee hosts the final session in the series on 10 November. She will take a closer look at galleries, teaching students how to engage with galleries, artwork pricing, contracts, and issues around consignment.

Visit the virtual exhibition in the