Nandipha Mntambo

"Not only are we tremendously excited to have Nandipha's talent here in Cleveland, but this marks SPACES' first foray into the African continent," states Christopher Lynn, SPACES Executive Director. "Thanks to the generosity of the Cleveland Foundation, I was able to travel to South Africa to meet with artists and curators before selecting Nandipha. We hope to leverage these connections in the future to continue to bring more of Africa's astounding artists to Northeast Ohio."

Mntambo often uses her own body as her subject or as inspiration to bring issues of identity and conflict to the forefront, and she frequently addresses the dynamic tension that exists within the self, the push-pull between libido and mortido, life instinct and death drive. Concepts of powerlessness versus empowerment, the public versus the private selves, or the presentation of unexpected role reversals have arisen in some of her latest bodies of work. She is also very interested in bull mythology throughout various cultures. Her themes and practices range from the rehearsal and photography of the steps of a bullfighter in the abandoned Pra