DJ Lag pushes sonic boundaries once more with Blxckie collab titled ‘Kwenzakalan’

Dec 1, 2023 | New Release, Music

DJ Lag’s reputation as a sonic innovator is revealing itself yet again through a new collaboration with South African rap sensation, Blxckie and emerging vocalists Leodaleo and Dezzodigo.

Titled “Kwenzakalan”, the single releases on Black Major x Ice Drop and is nothing short of a mash-up banger of Gqom and Hip Hop that creates a fresh and unique blend of sound served by an all-star roster of Durban natives

Both DJ Lag and Blxckie describe the sound as a real “fusion” that will ignite the imaginations of music fans – on the airwaves, on their summer car journeys down south and in the pulsating heart of the club. “The fusion is a dope thing and we are so happy to be doing it,” says Blxckie. “It’s creating a unique sound that is going to be amazing too when performed on a live stage.”

Driven by a deep 808 bass-line and unmatched airy highs crafted by Lag and Dezzodigo, accompanied by Blxckie and long-time collaborator, Leodaleo, delivering effortless flows and a hook that catches you by the throat

The single is the latest in an extraordinary creative journey undertaken by Lag over the past decade-plus years, since he began pioneering a sound that would come to be known as gqom. Expanding out of his base in Clermont, Durban, Lag has lived up to his international pantsula moniker through a career that’s as global as it is domestic 

Connecting with fellow Durbanite Sihle Sithole – Blxckie – was a natural move for Lag. Since 2019, Blxckie has been deploying his soothing melodic voice over a variety of different beats to create fresh new sounds on his solo releases (like EQNX II, It Feels Like a Dream and Blxck Panda) and he is part of the Clout Internet Boyz, an emerging movement coming of Durban of artists who are collaborating to establish their own take on the popular Trap sound. “Kwenzakalan” is released through Black Major x Ice Drop. 

Listen to ‘Kwenzakalan’ HERE
 

Connect with DJ Lag:
X (formerly Twitter): @RealDJLag
Instagram: @realdjlag
Facebook: @realdjlag
Tik Tok: @realdjlag
YouTube: @DJLAG

Press release courtesy of Sheila Afari PR

Chapter 22 | 23 of 2023 – A Round-table with Tanatswa Amisi, Ulindelwe Ratsibe and Odwa Zamane

Nov 30, 2023 | Fashion, Interlude

An Interlude year-end retrospective is becoming a bit of tradition. Last year, I was joined by Tanatswa Amisi, AKA @iobservefashion on Tiktok and Instagram – one of South Africa’s principle voices in fashion as we looked at ‘22 moments of 2022’ for our Chapter 11 edition. Now, a whole year later, Chapter 22 is the culmination of a round-table conversation with Tantatswa, joined by fashion journalist Ulindelwe Ratsibe of Maison NMB and Front Row Media founder Odwa Zamane – as well as our very own founder, Candice Erasmus. It’s suffice to say many-a-tea was spilled! Interestingly, though – was a shared sentiment that fashion (as a global industry) felt less resonant with us this year than last year. Our local fashion industry had another incredible year. Perhaps, this speaks to the success of our local industry as grabbing our attention far more than over-saturated, commodified northern industry. 

Fashion is a beautiful behemoth and those of us who love it (and hate to love it) have never been more able to discuss, dissect and analyse its monstrous, magnificent movements in the world. It is with great pleasure that Interlude can spotlight these three minds in South African fashion journalism & critical thinking; who it is necessary, critical, ESSENTIAL for you to follow. Tantswa, Uli and Odwa are at the forefront of fashion thought and my gratitude is to them for enriching the final chapter of Interlude, for 2023. 

The following conversation was split up into local and international moments (with three surprise moments by Candice and I). Let’s get into it.

Tantswa’s Moments

When Trevor Stuurman shot the campaign for the new Gucci store in Durban…
“I think this moment was peak, African luxury. I did a video about it on my TT and so many people expressed that it amplified their pride for being Zulu. All of the traditional elements that were brought into the campaign were incredible. I alway say that when you have European luxury in a space of African luxury; the European one falls to the background. It felt so contemporary and opulent.

Trevor Stuurman for Gucci, courtesy of @trevorstuurman IG

When Thebe Magugu launched their Heirloom Shirt campaign…
“This really exceeded my expectations. I knew it would resonate locally but when I saw people like Miichelel Obama, Lupita Nyong’o – I felt like the fabric of the brand has officially been cemented. This was a campaign that transcended even Thebe Magugu’s already-established focus on heritage and story-telling.

Thebe Magugu launches customer Heirloom Shirt, courtesy of Thebe Magugu PR

When Luke Radloff’s UNI FORM won the Azzedine Alaïa Foundation X Overda Price…
“This was a bit of a personal moment for me as I’ve connected a lot with Luke this year and he had expressed to me that he really wanted the brand to become something big, and I think this moment was so huge in showing that UNI FORM is going to do precisely that. The brand is at the forefront of South African luxury and I’m so excited to see their international trajectory. It’s one of the most authentic brands in existence.”

Luke Radloff, courtesy of @uniformza

When Sithasolwazi Kentane launched SEVEN…
“I think 2023 was really Sitha’s year for launching her luxury, leather goods brand, SEVEN. I met her earlier this year at a UNI FORM event and she invited me through to the launch at her store. They’re just the most magnificent bags and all of these moments together are finally creating what I want to see from Johannesburg as a fashion capital, and seeing the diversity of different wins and moments from people in South Africa – we are finally making strides.”

Luxury leather brand SEVEN by Sithasolwazi Kentane, courtesy of @thesevenstore.co

When Lagos-based concept store Alára did a pop-up at the Brooklyn Museum…
“This was such a major moment for me. I love when we see African fashion take up space on its own and lead with its own clout. Even though this was a collaboration with an American institution, I loved that this was so ‘Alára’ – from the crowd, to the pop-up installation – it really looked like the essence of Lagos was centred, but also they featured so many African designers from around the continent as part of their pop-up from Lukhanyo to Thebe to Kenneth Ize.

When Sarah Burton left McQueen…
“I felt like this was a stab in the heart. While we’re seeing African fashion progress, I feel like we’re also seeing this whole other side of fashion crumble before our eyes. There wasn’t much that was keeping me invested in fashion globally, this year – and one of my few saving graces was Sarah. I just see it as part of the white, male creative directors leading brands and I’m so over it.”

When the Mowalola X Beats collaborative campaign featured JT of the City Girls…
“I loved that JT was the choice for this. They got a lot of backlash with people saying that JT should stick to Fashion Nova, and her response was incredible – she posted a video saying that people just want Black women to fit into a certain aesthetic. She really advocated for herself and I think JT is going to become our generation’s Lil Kim, who had her Galliano era and is an eternal fashion icon.

Mowalola X Beats feature City Girl’s JT in campaign, courtesy of Beats

Odwa’s Moments

When Thebe Magugu collaborated with Orlando Pirates and adidas…
“This was huge for me not only as a fashion practitioner, but as someone with an affinity for football culture. It’s really interesting to see how many trends have sprung from soccer, spilling over into fashion. Orlando Pirates are so historical and heritage, so having one of the biggest soccer clubs in the country aligned with the biggest designer in South African. It was actually really controversial in the beginning, but I think that kind of risk-taking is so great to see in our local market, and the campaign by Room Studios was amazing.”

Thebe Magugu X Orlando Pirates in partnership with adidas, campaign by Room Studio

When Chant Radio started popping off…
“I love seeing collectives take off that merge the power of having a clothing brand with IRL experiences. Chant just collaborated with Motherland from Lagos for a sonic experience and meeting of the two brands. I love them because they really bring together a community of Gen-Z creatives, congregating around fashion, art and music – particularly connecting the African diaspora.”

Tee Drop by Chant, courtesy of @chantradio_ IG

When iQHAWE Magazine launched their first print edition…
“iQhawe Magazine profile overlooked and underrepresented creatives within the industry and they’re 100% Black-owned, femme-led company. They launched their first print edition and I think more light needs to be shone on the fact that they did that. Especially doing print! They shot it, printed and launched it – on top of their digital offering – it was such a hopeful moment for the future of local publishing and Black creative expression.”

iQHAWE Magazine launch their first print edition, courtesy of @iqhawemagazine

When Marc Jacobs…well, Marc Jacobs-ed…
“There’s nothing Marc didn’t do this year. From honouring Vivienne Weswtood in a collection this year, to the performance of the brand, to the success of ‘HEAVN’ which enriches his undiverse and is so nostalgic of the 90s era. It is so rare for an OG designer to really be able to cultivate a direct-to-consumer relationship with a much younger audience like Gen-Z’s and Marc just keeps showing his range in doing that. 

When the British Vogue changes took place…
“When Edward Enninfdul stepped down from British Vogue, we weren’t sure what was going to happen. Chioma Nnadi being appointed to the role, as the first Black, woman editor, was amazing news. Chioma was previously the Vogue US online editor which is an interesting background – because I think British Vogue print has been so incredibly strong under Enninful, and I think she’s going to bring some digital savvy to the publication as it looks to continue integrating its online and print offerings.”

When Brenda Hashtag became fashion editor of 032c…
“This was such a genius move. I used to follow Brenda on twitter and she’s been iconic for years. She was previously black-listed from the industry for speaking up about various things – and seeing her leverage TikTok, twitter and meme-culture to build an independent following, and then coming back as fashion editor of 032c (one of the coolest publications) is so commendable.”

Ulindelwe’s Moments

When Munkus collaborated with Pick ‘n Pay and Broke collaborated with Old Khaki…
“The idea of people being able to buy a piece of a designer or brand that they love, and having accessibility to their universe – is fantastic. It also brings visibility for South African fashion to a wider audience. Also, these are produced locally and our textile industry needs it. Our textile and garment industry has been getting back on its feet and seeing work like this is so promising.”

BROKE X OLD KHAKI courtesy of Broke PR

When Dicker & Dane shot the Vogue Portugal cover… 
“This might be a bit of nepotism for me! But the first African creative duo with African models on a Vogue cover? It says it all. They are both extraordinary people and are really pushing to highlight local talent in the teams that they put together whether here or internationally.”

Dicker & Dane for Vogue Portugal, June 2023

When SELFI and Wanda Lephoto showed with Folklore in New York & Paris…
“SELFI was in New York and Wanda was in Paris with Folklore, in September. Just accessing those customer bases and with such a massive platform like Folklore? Especially for Celeste and Wanda to be in big fashion capitals, it made me so excited for our local industry and potential.”

When Beyonce did what she did for her Renaissance World Tour…
“A hundred looks from designers across the globe. There’s always been this conversation about her fashion sense – which I will not defend – but I think this shows how powerful she is. Beyonce gave small designers a huge platform and she gave a lot of designers that she’s worked with – and the Black women designers, too – like Senegalese brand Tongoro. I think it was a defining moment.” 

When Lagos Space Program won the Woolmark Prize…
“This was incredible. They’re doing amazing things as a brand, and we’ve seen how Woolmark can be such a catalyst for huge things – so I’m really excited to see where this takes the brand.”

When the term ‘supermodel’ came back…
“People like Anok Yai, Mona Tougaard and Bella Hadid are currently the faces of fashion and to me, it’s a clear distinction between what the industry was beforehand and where it is now – and where it is going. We are in that moment again when models are building relationships with designers again.”

Anok Yai for Acne Studios, courtesy of @anokyai IG

Mona Tougaard for POP Magazine, courtesy of @mona_tougaard IG

Bella Hadid for Vogue Italia, courtesy of @bellahadid IG

Holly’s Moments 

When Refuse dropped their Mr Price Collaboration…
“Refuse won the Mr Price Scouting Menswear Design prize at SA Fashion Week last year, and was already very exciting. This year, their collaborative collection was launched and it’s so great to see that the award has such an impactful follow-through and tangible success for a brand. I’m excited to see the outcome of this year’s winner, Robyn Agulhas’ SinCHUI, and what they do together in 2024.”

Mr Price X REFUSE, courtesy of Mr Price PR

When Lukhanyo Mdingi won the Amiri Prize…
“I think we have so many designers that are showing what it means to seize opportunity. Lukhanyo is leading the charge and it’s such a beautiful testament to the label’s continued success and centering of human ingenuity and craftsmanship. In South Africa, we need to pursue resources, opportunities and funding and I love that Lukhanyo Mdingi as a designer expresses that blueprint for aspiring fashion designers of the next generation. I also think it’s an important lesson in understanding that building a brand is not a miracle – you can be as talented as possible – but having the endurance and determination, and dynamically making choices that can lead to longevity, is really the difference.”

Lukhanyo Mdingi BURKINA Sport, Photographed by Luke Houba

Candice’s moment 

When Sindiso Khumalo collaborated with & Other Stories…
“I really loved this international collaboration, but still available at an accessible level. Sindiso has such a clear vision for her label and I love seeing designers who know themselves, find alignment that takes South African fashion forward.”

Sindiso Khumalo X &Other Stories, photographed by Hedvig Jenning, courtesy of @sindisokhumalo IG

Written by: Holly Beaton
For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

Southern Guild returns to Miami Art Week this year

Nov 29, 2023 | News, Art

Southern Guild returns to Miami Art Week this year with presentations at both Design Miami and Untitled Art.

The gallery’s booth for Design Miami features functional and sculptural work by 11 designers and artists from across the continent, bringing together a collection of richly handcrafted objects in which nature’s presence is unleashed in a profusion of diverse forms. For Untitled Art, Southern Guild presents the work of three emerging artists: South African painters Jozua Gerrard and Katlego Tlabela, and Zimbabwean ceramic artist Xanthe Somers. Varied in style and conceptual interests, this trio of artists represent unique contemporary perspectives from the African continent who engage with their political, social and cultural contexts in diverging ways.

This double showing comes just two months before  Southern Guild launches its first gallery in the United States. The opening of the 5,000 sqft space on Western Avenue in the new art hub of Melrose Hill, Los Angeles, marks a milestone moment for the South African gallery whose artist roster, gallery programme and fair participation have expanded significantly over the past few years.

SOUTHERN GUILD AT DESIGN MIAMI 2023 
5-10 December, 2023 
Booth G/28 

Southern Guild returns to Design Miami in 2023 with a presentation of functional and sculptural work by 11 designers and artists including Zizipho Poswa, Porky Hefer, Andile Dyalvane and Rich Mnisi Design Miami takes place 5-10 December at Convention Center Drive and 19th Street in Miami Beach. 

Southern Guild’s presentation at Design Miami – where it has exhibited regularly since 2011 – comes just two months before it launches its first gallery in the United States. The opening of the 5,000 sqft space on Western Avenue in the new art hub of Melrose Hill, just along the road from David Zwirner’s new LA outpost, marks a milestone moment for the South African gallery, whose artist roster, gallery programme and fair participation have expanded significantly over the past few years.  

The gallery’s booth brings together a collection of richly handcrafted objects in which nature’s presence is unleashed in a profusion of forms that twist, morph and grow before our eyes. With an emphasis on three-dimensionality, these works encompass moments of play and quiet reflection, escape and wild release – perhaps best exemplified by the sinuous duality of a snake painted in pastel hues onto Dokter and Misses’ Hug Me Like a Python, LALA Limo Series server.  

Highlights of Southern Guild’s presentation this year include: 

A pair of seating pods by Porky Hefer, made especially for Design Miami, signalling a turn towards minimalist form by the internationally renowned designer. His collections of sculptural seating environments are speculative interventions that take their cue from nature’s unerring adaptability, resourcefulness and interconnection. Encased in hand-stitched leather, John and Yoko represent a lion and a dove, respectively. With their plush, wool-lined interiors, these works are an ode to the bed-ins of John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Hefer will have a solo exhibition at Galerie56 in New York in May 2024.

Two pieces of collectible furniture by Rich Mnisi, drawing on his XiTsonga heritage and fluid approach to form. A desk with beaded curtain and a twisting chandelier with scale-like shades – both bronze – develop the snake-inspired design language of Mnisi’s 2021 Nyoka collection. The bold three-dimensionality of his work encourages multiple viewpoints -– an apt embodiment of Mnisi’s commitment to queer expression. His second solo exhibition opens at Southern Guild’s Cape Town gallery in February 2024.

Porky Hefer, ‘John’, 2023. Photographed by Hayden Phipps & Southern Guild.

Rich Mnisi, ‘Vutlhari.II(Wisdom)’, 2023. Photographed by Hayden Phipps & Southern Guild.

Three large-scale bronze sculptures by Zizipho Poswa inspired by the practice of ‘umthwalo’ (load), whereby Xhosa women transport heavy items on their heads, often walking long distances in rural areas. Part of the artist’s iiNtsika zeSizwe (Pillars of the Nation) exhibition at Galerie56 in New York earlier this year, these works are named after specific women within the artist’s extended community. This past summer, Poswa produced her most monumental ceramic series to date as an artist-in-residence at the Center for Contemporary Ceramics, California State University, Long Beach, which will debut when Southern Guild opens its Los Angeles gallery in February 2024. 

Kenyan artist Stanislaw Trzebinski’s S-shaped bronze table and series of otherworldly lights and vessels are an imagining of the metamorphosed creatures that arise on Earth after climate devastation. A trio of standing lights seemingly unfurl from the earth, each of their bronze tendrils holding a hand-blown glass bulb, mottled in bacteria-like dispersions of green and blue. These fantastical works make use of organic forms and tinted patinas in vivid hues.  

A large-scale ceramic seat by Andile Dyalvane will feature on the booth and is a piece from his ground-breaking collection, iThongo (Ancestral Dreamscape). This refers to the medium through which messages are transmitted from his Xhosa ancestors, a vital current of energy that runs throughout Dyalvane’s artistic practice. Hand-coiled in terracotta clay, the seats were conceived to be used in ceremonial and spiritual gatherings, arranged in a circle around a fire hearth and herbal offerings.

Zizipho Poswa, ‘Mam uNoSekshin’, 2023. Photographed by Hayden Phipps & Southern Guild.

Stanislaw Trzebinski, ‘Terrific Trepidations, 2022. Photographed by Hayden Phipps & Southern Guild.

Andile Dyalvane, ‘Ngobozana’. Photographed by Adriaan Louw & Southern Guild.

Other notable works on the booth will be an intricate bronze wall-hung sculpture by Cape Town-based designer Jesse Ede, ceramics by Franco-Beninese artist King Houndekpinkou, hand-carved sculptural timber seats by arborist Adam Birch, a mythological bronze figure by Justine Mahoney, a botanical-inspired table by Charles Haupt and the above-mentioned python-emblazoned server by Dokter and Misses. 

Both ceramic artist Andile Dyalvane and Southern Guild co-founder Trevyn McGowan will take part in the Design Miami/ Talks Program this year. McGowan is included in the panel discussion titled ‘The Story of Us’ which will focus on female design voices on the pleasures—and power— of rising together. 

This takes place on Wednesday, December 6, 2023, from 5:30PM – 6:30PM ET. Dyalvane will participate in ‘Healing Through Design’ on Friday, December 8, 2-3pm ET. Both talks will take place in the Design Miami/ Talks Theater.

Dokter and Misses, ‘LALAL imo Hug Me Like a Python’, 2023. Photographed by Hayden Phipps & Southern Guild.

Justine Mahoney, ‘Pearl Diver’, 2020. Photographed by Hayden Phipps & Southern Guild.
Jesse Ede, ‘Solaris’, 2023. Cr. Hayden Phipps, Southern Guild.

King Houndekpinkou, ‘Outer Space Ritual Vessel Sculpture, Bubble Tea Juice And Pink Bubblegum Offerings’, 2022. Photographed by Hayden Phipps & Southern Guild.

SOUTHERN GUILD AT UNTITLED ART 2023 
5-10 December, 2023 
Booth A8  

Southern Guild returns to Untitled Art in 2023 with a focus on three young artists: South African painters Jozua Gerrard and Katlego Tlabela, and Zimbabwean ceramic artist Xanthe Somers. Untitled Art takes place from 5-10 December at Ocean Drive and 12th Street, in Miami Beach, Florida.  

Diverse in style and conceptual interests, the three Southern Guild artists represent unique viewpoints from the African continent who engage with their political, social and cultural contexts in different ways. They share a pop-infused formal approach that harnesses elements of fantasy and play, undergirded by a sense of dissonance. Gerrard’s lone figures hint at a listless malaise, while Tlabela responds to persisting economic inequality with bolstered fantasies of self-determination. In contrast, Somers’ sculptural vessels are barbed critiques of corruption and consumption.   

Southern Guild’s presentation at Untitled Art – its second year exhibiting – comes just two months before it launches its first gallery in the United States. The opening of the 5,000 sqft space on Western Avenue in Melrose Hill marks a milestone moment for the South African gallery, whose artist roster, gallery programme and fair participation have expanded significantly over the past few years.  

Xanthe Somers’ large-scale, intricate ceramic works combine political commentary and hyper-ornamentation to draw attention to Western overconsumption, cheap labour and the impact of eco-racist practices on the Global South. Born in Harare in 1992 and now based in London, Somers focuses on ceramics to reimagine the everyday and examine the “subtle treason of objects”. 

The bodies of her classically-shaped vessels are punctured with peepholes, encrusted with woolly tassels and interlaced with woven elements such as string and garden hose. Somers studied Fine Art (Hons) at the University of Cape Town and completed an MA in Postcolonial Culture and Global Policy at Goldsmiths, University of London in 2020. She has held solo exhibitions at Galerie Revel in Bordeaux, France, First Floor Gallery Harare in Zimbabwe and Fusion Art Gallery in Turin, Italy, and has exhibited at fairs including Collect Art Fair in London and Untitled Art in Miami, where Southern Guild first presented her work in 2022.  

Xanthe Somers, The Carpet Shop, 2023. Photographed by Deniz Nell Guzel & Southern Guild.

Xanthe Somers, ‘Working Class Femininity’, 2023. Photographed by Deniz Nell Guzel & Southern Guild.

Xanthe Somers, ‘Don’t Do It’, 2022. Photographed by Deniz Nell Guzel & Southern Guild.

Xanthe Somers, ‘The Hand That Rocks The Cradle’, 2023. Photographed by Deniz Nell Guzel & Southern Guild.

Jozua Gerrard’s large-scale, enamel-on-glass paintings explore his personal experience of contemporary youth culture: its connections and disconnections, utopian projections and ever-present shadows. Born in Cape Town in 2001, his fascination with the everyday is central to his works, which he describes as “little windows into people’s existence”. Painting his friends, partners and peers, Gerrard portrays scenes of intimacy and isolation – lone figures in candid moments of repose, the outside world receding in large expanses of flat, discordant colour. 

His subjects appear to have let their guard down but connection with the viewer is thwarted by the ever-present red mask they wear. Referencing the horned African masks traditional to West Africa, the appendage is a signature motif that the artist describes as an attempt to reclaim the notion of ‘primitivism’ from colonialist appropriation. The artist has held two solo exhibitions, including Loveland at Southern Guild in 2021. The gallery presented Gerrard’s work at Untitled Art last year.

Jozua Gerrard’s ‘Fola’. 2023, photographed by Hayden Phipps & Southern Guild.

Jozua Gerrard’s ‘Just Breathing’ . 2023, photographed by Hayden Phipps & Southern Guild.

Jozua Gerrard’s ‘Punch Drunk’. 2023, photographed by Hayden Phipps & Southern Guild.

The paintings of Pretoria-based artist Katlego Tlabela explore notions of luxury, leisure and the world of the “nouveau riche” as they appear in contemporary South African society. The artist’s multi-panelled tableaux are self-referential, often depicting himself in highly stylised domestic spaces that offer a lens into the lives of the newly imagined and real Black elite. Tlabela’s construction of these worlds is decidedly postmodern; he splices together references from popular culture, recognisable local and international brands, cut-out figures from magazines, reappropriated texts, renowned art and design. 

The series of paintings made for Untitled Art make recurring reference to swimming pools, that ultimate middle-class status symbol, here a signifier of Black wealth. His work was recently included in When We See Us: A Century of Black Figuration in Painting at the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, and he has participated in group shows in Lagos, London and New York. His work has been presented at fairs such as Frieze London, FIAC, 1-54 London and New York, and Liste Art Fair Basel.

Katlego Tlabela’s Blue Magic V, Late for a Date III, 2023 photographed by Hayden Phipps & Southern Guild.

Katlego Tlabela’s Blue Magic IV, Late For A Date II, 2023 photographed by Hayden Phipps & Southern Guild.

Katlego Tlabela’s Blue Magic, Generational Wealth II, 2023 photographed by Hayden Phipps & Southern Guild.

During the fair, Southern Guild’s director Jana Terblanche will be part of a podcast panel discussion titled ‘Curating in the Digital Age’. The focus will be on how curatorial practices are evolving in the ever-expansion of new technologies, as well as visual experimentation with digitalisation and new viewing experience.

Press release courtesy of Southern Guild

For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

Adidas Celebrates South Africa’s Skateboarding Sensation Boipelo Awuah

Nov 28, 2023 | News, Community

adidas is excited to announce the release of the last episode of its original docu-series, “Remember My Name.” This five-part series delves into the narratives of five distinguished female athletes, not only commemorating their remarkable accomplishments as South African athletes in their respective disciplines but also shedding light on the challenges faced by women in sports.

The fifth episode focuses on the ‘Diamond of Kimberly’ Boipelo Awuah who made her Olympic debut at only 15-years-old. South Africa’s skateboarding phenomenon is known today as ‘young baby champ.’

Skateboarding is recognised as a leisure sport in South Africa unlike the rest of the world. Boipelo is a proud advocate for the future of South African skateboarding as it transitions into professional sport because of athletes like herself.

Awuah started skateboarding at the tender age of 5-years-old and her impressive skating techniques were self-taught with some guidance from her older brother who made her fall in love with skateboarding, saying “I saw my brother skating at the age of five and I was fascinated and fell in love with the sport. But when I started, it was just a thing that I enjoyed and loved doing just the freedom of it. I didn’t expect skateboarding to take me where it has taken me, when I started I never imagined it would be a big part of my life as it is right now.”

At age 15, Boipelo was meant to represent South Africa as the youngest member of the Olympic team and the only African skateboarder in the women’s street skateboarding competition but unfortunately, on the second day of practice in Tokyo, Awuah fractured her pelvic bone which ruled her out of the competition.

“Despite that setback, I made good memories and had an amazing experience with beautiful people who I look up to. Nonetheless, it would have been awesome to participate in the competition.” Awuah says her parents took about a year before they would allow her to go to the skate park because they were scared that she might hurt herself, “at first, my parents were not supportive because they were terrified. They didn’t want me to skate and it took them a long time to allow me to go and skate. I would sneak around the house, grab my brother’s skateboard and just roll around the house. Eventually, they let go of me because they saw how passionate I was about the sport.”

Adidas ‘RMN’ Final Stills of Boipelo

When asked what skateboarding means to her, Awuah said “skateboarding has changed my life in so many ways I can’t even express it, not just the things it has given me but also shaped my character. Skateboarding has taught me so many things like perseverance, hard work. Nothing comes easy, you need to work hard for things.”

Awuah is currently writing her matric final exams as she balances being a young student with her professional skateboarding career.

Press release courtesy of The Playmakers

For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

Goodman Gallery presents ‘What Have They Done with All the Air?’ – a new exhibition by William Kentridge

Nov 28, 2023 | Art, Community

Goodman Gallery presents ‘What Have They Done with All the Air?’ an exhibition of new drawings and sculptures by William Kentridge. Works featured relate to a new theatre production in the making, titled The Great Yes, the Great No, in which the artist uses the journey of a ship from Marseille to Martinique as a prompt for unpacking power, colonialism and migration.

William Kentridge’s dynamic, gestural and multi-disciplinary artistic practice continues to offer a persuasive argument for the pathway of an artist as requiring multiple mediums, in the honest pursuit of world-building and narrative cohesion. For Kentridge, an idea is never simple arrived upon through one singular medium – not his seminal theatrical works, nor his drawings, sculptures and more; rather, a body of work is the outcome of the layered tactility within his process; a process in which the ‘the prototyping’ of ideas are no less ingenious than their final culmination, say – this solo exhibition at Goodman Gallery being as textured as its reference point, Kentridge’s acclaimed theatre production ‘The Great Yes, the Great No.’

Stroke sculpture by William Kentridge, photographed by Chris Littlewood

Paper Procession Series photographed by Anthea Pokroy

This ‘act of prototyping with raw materials’ is the window into this exhibition, in which one is invited to peer into the tesseractic nature of Kentridge’s thinking – and ultimate arrival in creating or developing a body of work. 

As the press release ( courtesy of Goodman Gallery) explains of the central ‘world’ to this solo show, namely Kentridge’s latest theatrical production – “the story behind The Great Yes, the Great No begins in June 1941, when a converted cargo ship, the Capitaine Paul Lemerle, sailed from Marseille to Martinique. Among the passengers escaping Vichy France were the surrealist André Breton, the anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss, the Cuban artist Wifredo Lam, the communist novelist Victor Serge, and the author Anna Seghers. The captain of the boat is Charon, the ferryman of the dead, who calls other characters onto the deck – Aimé Césaire, The Nardal sisters, who together with the Césaires and Senghor had founded the anti- colonial Négritude movement in Paris, in the 1920s and 1930s. Frantz Fanon joins the group along with Trotsky, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. The boat journey is the 1941 crossing of the Atlantic, but also references earlier crossings from Africa to the Caribbean, as well as contemporary forced sea crossings.” In this historical rendering, titanic intellectual and artistic figures are allegorical to a past re-imagined. 

This exhibition, then, is a multi-disciplinary extrapolation of the production itself; featuring new drawings that are used as backdrops in the play, including portraits of characters in the play and imagined scenery from the ships arrival in Martinique – which are in fact, “an idea of the exotic Caribbean, which is in fact the domestic garden of Kentridge’s Johannesburg studio.” Thinking of this imagined potential from Kentridge – the ability to reference what is close to him in immediacy, to a counterfactual theatrical story – is a stunning way to disrupt the function of space and time when using real figures from the past, for imagined stories of the mind. 

I can’t help but see – among the pieces in this show – Kentridge’s own yearning for a past in which figures representing an opposition to oppression (Breton, Trotsky, Kahlo and the like) or their own yearning for a more thoughtful world, as a personal attempt to reconcile the world we live in today. Namely, the post-colonial, post-apartheid fractured divisions that continue to persist. Perhaps, Kentridge is describing a dialectic view; asking to understand what might have been had our past not been saturated in violence; while creating a body of work that simultaneously accepts it, too.

In Gaston Bachelard’s seminal work ‘The Poetics of Space’, the philosopher proclaimed the experience of the physical ‘house’ as a metaphoric and device for the human soul or experience, saying that “we comfort ourselves by reliving memories of protection. Something closed must retain our memories, while leaving them their original value as images. Memories of the outside world will never have the same tonality as those of home and, by recalling these memories, we add to our store of dreams; we are never real historians, but always near poets, and our emotion is perhaps nothing but an expression of a poetry that was lost.” For Kentridge, etched in his drawings, were a variety of existential exasperations – a kind of mnemonic device for this reconciliation between inquiry and acceptance, of conceptualising the many variations of the ‘home’ – our world, our society and each of our lives as it relates to the past.

Pour sculpture by William Kentridge, photographed by Chris Littlewood

“How the House of Justice has collapsed”
“The World is Leaking”
“In the days to come, I shall be there”
“Let’s light the fuse & blow up the parade”
“We want no prophets in the house” 
“All living things set up a house”

Included among the show is introduced “a collection of vibrant, hand-painted sculptures crafted from aluminium and steel, originating from small paper sculptures derived from a 19th-century accounting journal at the Chiesa di San Francesco Saverio in Palermo. Although not directly linked to The Great Yes, The Great No, these sculptures form the Paper Procession, offering insight into the costume-making process. William Kentridge and his collaborators engage in intensive workshops, using paper to conceptualise costumes and colours. Initially, paper collages transform into proto-costumes, occasionally evolving into standalone figures, exemplified by the For Degas puppets featured in the exhibition. Kentridge’s distinctive sculptural practice involves starting with torn paper, exemplified in the glyph bronzes that emerge from torn black paper, emphasising the importance of recognizing images as they unfold, rather than predetermined knowledge. The exhibition includes the Bull, a new bronze sculpture created from offcuts of black paper.”

Ultimately, Kentridge is not a historian, but his process is as rigorous as a historical inventory. As an artist for whom historical material forms his mastery, history serves as a rooting that allows Kentridge’s projects to oscillate perfectly between the imagination and reality – I encourage you to view this show by one of South Africa’s own titanic, historical figures. 

Six Heads Marseilles Martinique Frantz F. et al by William Kentridge

The World Is Leaking by William Kentridge

‘What Have They Done with All the Air?’ is on at Goodman Gallery, Cape Town, from 25th November 2023 until 20th January 2024. 

About: 
William Kentridge (b.1955, South Africa) is internationally acclaimed for his drawings, films, theatre and opera productions. Kentridge’s work is held in the following major collections around the world: MoMA, New York; Tate Modern, London; Centre Pompidou, Paris; Haus der Kunst, Munich; Sharjah Art Foundation, Sharjah; National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto; Guggenheim, Abu Dhabi and Zeitz MoCAA, Cape Town. The artist’s largest UK survey to date was held at the Royal Academy of Arts in London in 2022. In the same year, Kentridge opened another major survey exhibition, In Praise of Shadows, at The Broad, Los Angeles. In 2023 this exhibition travelled to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Kentridge’s work has been seen in museums across the globe since the 1990s, including the Museum of Modern Art, New York; Albertina Museum, Vienna: Musée du Louvre in Paris, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea; Reina Sofia museum, Madrid, Kunstmuseum in Basel; and Norval Foundation in Cape Town. The artist has also participated in biennale’s including Documenta in Kassel (2012, 2002,1997) and the Venice Biennale (2015, 2013, 2005, 1999, 1993).

Written by: Holly Beaton

For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

Lukhanyo Mdingi’s Sports Capsule Collection has launched exclusively through Lemkus

Nov 27, 2023 | Fashion, Community

What happens when two of the biggest forces in local design and fashion collide? Well,  Lukhanyo Mdingi’s Sports Capsule Collection is born – exclusively to and through, Lemkus. As an offering for audiences in accessibility to the luxury brand, Lukhanyo Mdingi and Lemkus have joined forces with full alignment for their respective visions for local production and considered design. We are very, very here for it. 

Lukhanyo Mdingi’s eponymous label demonstrates a reverent commitment to the human spirit through the vehicle of design. Since 2015, the label has seen steadfast growth as one of the most critical facets of South Africa’s fashion landscape, while being intentionally renowned.   

This collaborative collection was made on their fifth floor design centre at the ‘NFS workshop’ led by Dennis Collins, and showcases their ongoing vision to bring about the production potential of local design right in the heart of Cape Town. The collection itself embodies Lukhanyo Mdingi’s ongoing dialogue with sporting attire as rich with sartorial histories and cultural relevance, as seen by the label’s SS23 BURKINA Collection.

Some of the label’s achievement include a notable partnership with the Ethical Fashion Initiative, as well as being the recipient of the LVMH Karl Lagerfeld Prize in 2021, and this year, the label became the 2023 recipient of the prestigious Amiri Prize, which includes a year-long mentorship with Mike Amiri in Los Angeles. These ongoing achievements symbolise the potential for a pathway in longevity for aspiring designers in South Africa and across the continent. Lukhanyo Mdingi has shown at SA Menswear Week,  presented at New York Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week. 

Unique to the label’s practice, is Lukhanyo’s commitment to re-imagining design as a pathway to restoring dignity and preserving craftsmanship. Through a network of relationships with artisans from Khayelitsha, to the Eastern Cape and up to Burkina Faso; Lukhanyo Mdingi continues to advance a vision for artisanal through the ‘hands that make’, as central to his expression as a designer. Through a focus on natural fibres, textured materiality, perennial tailoring and focused referencing; the label perfectly distils contemporary, African design in the 21st century.

Shop LM Sports Capsule Collection HERE

 

Images by Calhoun Matthews 

Press release courtesy of Lemkus

For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

RESERVOIR Projects on their unmediated, curatorial lens in South Africa’s artistic landscape

Nov 27, 2023 | Interviews, Art

The structures organised around the artistic process are intricate; an interplay between communities and commercial markets, art has been mapped within these nuanced (and often contradicting) systems, intended to exist across many forms of experience; from distribution – to commodification – to appreciation and celebration. Whether it is the artists themselves, the galleries and institutions, collectors and audiences – there is perhaps no role that necessitates more function and advocacy than that of the curator. Acting as translators and interpreters between the domain of artists, their work and the rest of the world; curatorship extends beyond mere selection or contextual placement of artistic work. To curators, we often owe the meticulous shaping of a narrative and critical engagement; that ‘moment’ felt by all our senses, when we are standing in the midst of an exhibition, surrounded by tangible demonstrations of a person’s (artist/s) inner landscape. 

RESERVOIR Projects, a curatorial partnership between Heinrich Groenewald and Shona van der Merwe, is a response to this complex ecosystem of relationships, experiences, opportunities and vision of the artworld – both systemically and personally. Shona and Heinrich share a decade-long veteranship in South Africa’s art industry and through the vehicle of Reservoir, they experiment with the role of ‘curator’ through an independent, unmediated lens. Unencumbered by the often-inflated and siloed institutional structure of the art industry, the duo have the refreshing vantage point of focusing wholly on relationships. When most ‘rebellions’ against an institutional framework occur, it is likely born out of contempt – except RESERVOIR exists totally otherwise. No, this is not a response to the art industry in order to ‘disrupt’; rather, RESERVOIR is offering the South African artistic landscape a profound dose of independence; a required remedy to maintain the health of any ecosystem.

Heinrich and Shona by Paris Brummer, Amber Moir artwork in the background.

Heinrich and Shona have each cultivated careers rooted in respect and dedication; particularly centering trust as a basis to engage with artists and collaborators. In asking them how RESERVOIR began, Heinrich explains that “when we started this process together in 2021, we said yes to every opportunity. I think we still do, so long as our focus is always moderated with what the arts ecology can offer us, and what we can offer it. Very soon, we realised that the art world was a very warm, welcoming space – and we had all these people, especially artists, who have supported Reservoir more than we could have ever expected. People who literally lent us their bakkie or offered their hands. When we started curating shows as RESERVOIR, artists were willing to give us work. It has really catapulted us to a place where we have to stand for our credibility – it us only, Shona and I, as the RESERVOIR team.” This unconstrained and personal aspect of Reservoir – in which artists are directly engaged with Shona and Heinrich – lends itself to a distinct focus on quality in each project that RESERVOIR undertakes, across every single detail. 

Shona explains that, “it’s been exactly ten years since we have been in the industry and those years have been so important to our learning. While you’re being an administrator or a junior curator, you get to see the mistakes being made and it has definitely shaped how we approach projects and exhibitions, especially through our relationships with artists. The artworld can be quite chaotic and boundless – the rules are grey and bendy – so we have had to make sure that we create our own parameters as RESERVOIR.” 

RESERVOIR is two years old and can be understood in two phases. Its initial conception was as a nomadic gallery, in which RESERVOIR produced group shows in collaboration with contemporary galleries such as WHATIFTHEWORLD, THK Gallery, THEFOURTH and the Norval Foundation at Boschendal. In its second year, RESERVOIR has found its own home in Bree St, Cape Town – along with a permanent gallery space, has come a natural focus on solo exhibitions. On this, Heinrich says “solo shows offer a much more engaged process with an artist. It is about their work and their work at large – as opposed to curating singular pieces in a group narrative – instead, we are able to focus our energy on their entire body of work into a cohesive narrative that represents them entirely.”

Exhibited at Artissima 2023 BY Dale Lawrence, titled ‘Forget most of what you read’, 2023, clear packaging tape, digital print on paper. Photo by Paris Brummer.

Exhibited at Artissima 2023 BY Dale Lawrence, titled ‘Forget most of what you read’, 2023, clear packaging tape, digital print on paper. Photo by Paris Brummer.

Exhibited at Artissima 2023, Inga Somdyala ‘Chronicle of a Death Foretold V’, Soil, ash, chalk and oxides on canvas. Photo by Paris Brummer.

Exhibited at Artissima 2023, Inga Somdyala, ‘History is Written in the Tracks You Leave Behind’, 2023. Ochre, iron oxides and waxed thread on canvas, Kiaat frame. Photo by Paris Brummer.

In this respect, RESERVOIR is able to function as a bridge for artists; particularly so in a landscape in which funding, infrastructures, grants and residencies are relatively minimal in South Africa’s creative landscape. On their initial foray into collaborating with other galleries, Shona describes how “it made sense to do group exhibitions at the time. Essentially, we were bringing together various parts of artist’s practices that were already well developed that fit together through our curatorial lens. Often, we didn’t have a very clear theme with our shows; it was just a very organic process that occurred while talking to artists in their studios, making connections and finding those common threads.”

Shona expands on how their understanding of curatorship was defined during those early days of RESERVOIR, saying “taste-making and story-telling are some of the most important things you can have in your arsenal in the 21st century, and this is essentially what we are doing as curators. In South Africa, there is a curatorship within institutional or archival frameworks – but almost all art on the continent has a commercial aspect to it, so understanding through taste-making has been very important for us.” 

Now that RESERVOIR has its own space, there is a new level of agency available to Heinrich and Shona’s curatorial partnership. Since February of this year, their shifted focus to nurturing artists for solo exhibitions has signified what the platform can offer – as Shona explains that “having our own space has created more independence for us. We were always independent but in going into another space – there are natural limitations as to what you can do. Our own space has definitely shown us a new level of success that we can achieve with artists.” of this direct relationship with artists, Heinrich notes that, “I had a lot of time to co-create with artists with whatever the reality of the moment was. I think that created a very important facet in how we understand art management. We recognise the critical need for security for artists in what is a very precarious or vulnerable situation; where you’re creating work in your altar space or studio, the realm in which your ideas come to be, and for those works to then go out into this sterile, cube environment for the whole world to view and critique. We have seen firsthand how important it is for those who are facilitating those moments, to have a sense of how profound or daunting this process can be for artists, and to have empathy as curators.”

Recently, RESERVOIR was affirmed in an incredible feat, becoming the recipients of the New Entries Fund award for their presentation at the 30th edition of Artissima in Turin, Italy. The jury, composed by titanic figures in the international art landscape – such as the former directors of the fair Ilaria Bonacossa, Director of the MNAD – National Museum of Digital Art – Milano, Sarah Cosulich, Director of Pinacoteca Agnelli, Torino –  Andrea Bellini, Director Centre d’Art Contemporain, Geneva, and Francesco Manacorda, new Director of the Castello di Rivoli – noted their decision, saying “the exhibition proposed by the gallery RESERVOIR impressed the jury for its coherence and refinement in the dialogue of the two artists involved. The gallery, given its curatorial approach, presents works of great interest in a display of institutional quality.” RESERVOIR showcased artists Inga Somdyala and Dale Lawrence at Artissima. On receiving this award, Shona explains that “we had immense trust in both Inga and Dale, and we were able to create a link and a relationship between artists that would hold for the fair.” 

RESERVOIR. ‘As Far As The Sea’. A solo exhibition by Inga Somdyala. Photo by Paris Brummer.
RESERVOIR. ‘Something about this place’. A solo by Bella Knemeyer, Installation view. Photo by Paris Brummer.

Installation view, RESERVOIR at Artissima 2023. Photo by Matteo Losurdo.
Inga Somdyala in residence with RESERVOIR. Photo by Sihle Sogaula.

Heinrich notes, “both Inga and Dale explore post-coloniality through their practice, by means of referencing themes of a post-Apartheid South Africa, sourcing inspiration from authors who write about this precariousness transition, and by exploring material forms that speak to the ideas of land, identity and nationhood. So for us, it was about expressing that cohesion between two artists that come from different backgrounds, through a variety of unifying links.”

To be emerging as a gallery and platform, with notoriety built on trust, incisive attention to detail and an unbridled approach to the possibilities for curatorship; RESERVOIR are proving just how central the notion of relationships and care is for building South Africa’s artistic future. We cannot wait to see what comes next for this beautiful partnership. 

Upcoming exhibitions at RESERVOIR:
‘group-psyche’
A solo exhibition by Jeanne Gaigher
Opening: 2 December 2023 

Follow Reservoir HERE

Written by: Holly Beaton

For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

Searchlight drop reworked tracks from their debut album, titled ‘Remixes’ ft. Atjazz, Wipe the Needle and Afroforce

Nov 24, 2023 | New Release, Music

Irish producers Zero T and Beta 2, Searchlight, have selected three of their favourite electronic producer teams to rework tracks from their debut, self-titled, neo-soul album; Atjazz, Wipe The Needle and Afroforce. 

Lee Gomez under his Wipe The Needle moniker takes ‘We Could Be More’ featuring Manchester’s new school, soul king [ K S R ], right through to deepest West London. The remix drives with broken beats, uplifting strings, choirs and soulful keys leading to a change that feels like a true celebration of the current resurgence of Bruk in the capital’s clubs.

UK House music legend Martin Iveson AKA Atjazz declares war on the time signatures on ‘Can We Go Back’ Ft. Tolü Makay. The mix begins downtempo, playing neatly with polyrhythm synths and Tolü’s vocals before cleverly and beautifully, switching to an up-tempo Atjazz groove. 

Bugz In the Attic core members Mark Force and Afronaut team up under their Afroforce guise to take on Breathe, once again featuring Irish rising star vocalist, Tolü Makay. Originally co-written by Goldie himself for Searchlight’s debut album, the remix sees Mark and Orin replay the keys and flip the song into a modern, bruk-wise dancefloor bomb.

Stream ‘Searchlight Remixes’ HERE

Press release courtesy of Only Good Stuff

Levi’s® and Barbie Ferreira Partner on New Capsule Collection

Nov 23, 2023 | News, Fashion

Barbie Ferreira has won the hearts of fans throughout the world as an incredible actress, creative force and style icon. Since its founding in 1853, the Levi’s® brand has created some of the most iconic jeans and garments by approaching new designs with daring perspectives. As part of their continued partnership, the Levi’s® brand and Barbie combined their creative vision on a new capsule collection that utilizes a recurring bunny doodle hand drawn by artist and best friend, Ben Evans.

With a strong point of view on styles, fit, and color, Barbie worked closely with the Levi’s® design team to capture her vision for the collection. The Levi’s® x Barbie Ferreira capsule collection includes an oversized Long Dress Coat, crafted from washed black denim, with Ben’s doodles printed on the piping along the interior seams. The collection’s Lace-Up Corset, with lace-up details in the front and smocking in the back to allow for an adjustable fit, can be paired with the Lace-Up Flare Jean, a mid-rise flare with lace-up details at the side hips and a back-patch emblazoned with Ben’s’ bunny drawing. Bottoms also include a pair of ‘90s 501® Jeans, featuring an allover graphic bunny print made with a bleach splatter effect, and a chartreuse pleated skirt with a raw, distressed hem. For tops, the collection also offers a Second Skin Top, a tight mesh long sleeve shirt with a ‘90s amoeba style print and thumb holes, and an Oversized Bunny Tee, a relaxed black tee with a glow-in-the-dark bunny graphic. To top it all off, the collection offers the matching reversible Tulip Hat, made with chartreuse denim on one side and the ‘90s amoeba style print on woven fabric on the other. 

“This collection was inspired by my love for beautiful scenes and creating a story with my everyday wardrobe. I wanted to play silhouettes that are reminiscent of costuming from my favorite movies. It was important for me that the collection lived somewhere between a dark fairytale and a nostalgic dream,” said Barbie about the collaboration.

To bring the campaign to life, Barbie turned to her longtime collaborator and friend, Petra Collins, to execute her vision. Petra Collins is a multi-talented artist and director whose distinct style of new-wave feminist photography is known for elevating the subject with rich textures and unique lighting. After closely planning the creative execution, Barbie and Petra orchestrated a special photoshoot that beautifully captures Barbie in the collection with Petra’s other-worldly visual touch.

Shop the The Levi’s® x Barbie Ferreira capsule collection HERE  and in Sandton and V&A stores.

Press release courtesy of The Bread

For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

The Do’s and Don’ts of being HOT, HOT, HOT this summer

Nov 22, 2023 | Navigating Reality, Lifestyle

It’s been a couple of years since the term ‘Hot Girl Summer’ became a part of our everyday vocabulary when Megan Thee Stallion coined the phrase and released a mega-hit song to accompany it. In response, some butthurt frat boys (by which I mean Tom Hanks’ son) had to declare a white boy summer because, damn, it seems my gender can’t allow women to have anything. Regardless of the phrase’s origins or how much it’s used in the current slew of internet slang, there is no doubt that as soon as temperatures start to rise, the serotonin and sex drive of the youth spark at a now internalised understanding of just what it means to have a hot girl/boy summer.

Now, while hot girl/boy summer looks different for everyone, there are a few telltale signs across the board to signify that you are indeed in the midst of one such summer. You’ll be socialising more, way more, as you wake up from your winter social slumber. This will probably also be after the inevitable but painful cutting of the cord with your cuffing season cutie, so my condolences on that. Back to it, though, whether more socialising means you are at Blondie from lunch sipping on palomas and building up a sweat – just to have to yell at the German tourist you’re trying to flirt with as soon as the sun sets. Or, it simply means getting back on all of the dreaded apps, and whether you go by he/she/they or them: it’s time to get flirty, sultry, saucy, and even slutty.

This kind of behaviour comes with some sense of self-serving hedonism; that ‘controlled but slightly scary’ self-indulgence that can sometimes border on self-harming. So, today, I want to change the narrative a bit. Look, I’m as big a fan of escapist hedonism as you’re likely to meet outside a sex dungeon in a Berlin bunker, but having hot boy summered a bit too close to the sun on multiple occasions (somewhat of a modern fuckboy version of the Greek tale of Icarus, if you will) I am intimately aware of some of the fallout that mostly follows such sweet summers. Because of this, I want to set up a bit of a guide to having a hot, hot, hot summer without hating yourself or the predicament you find yourself in when April rolls around.

Photographed by Angela Roma, courtesy of pexels

Photographed by Cottonbro Studio, courtesy of pexels

Here are the do’s and don’ts of being hot this summer.

First and foremost and it pains me that I have to make this such a pertinent point (but homies have made it clear that they don’t understand or don’t care). MAKE CONSENT A PRIORITY. Consent should not only be a key pillar of any relationship you’re in, but there also needs to be an ongoing understanding that consent is constantly being negotiated. Maybe you made out outside a bar, or damn, perhaps you have even slept together before. None of that means that every interaction between you and that party is consensual, no matter what. I don’t want this getting convoluted. Basically, keep your creepy little claws to yourself unless you have consent. 

This brings me nicely to the next absolute must-do: communicate. Now, I know you’re thinking, “I do”, and unfortunately, I’m here to burst your bubble. Most people reading this, me included, are rather bad communicators. So, what am I really referring to here? Well, simply put, I think it’s the bare minimum to be open and honest with your wants, needs, desires and boundaries in any newfound fling or FWB situation you find yourself in. Is the relationship strictly casual? Are you seeing other people as well? Do you want to see other people? These are all simple questions that we often get too spooked to address or to open up a conversation about in fear that we lose what we have or hurt the person we’re addressing. I can speak out of experience and a newfound understanding due to polyamory. Not knowing and the simple lack of emotional information always hurts far more. At the end of the day, communication is an unbelievably powerful tool. A way for us on an individual basis to bring another person or people into our world by explaining to them how we think, how we feel, how we can be better to them and how they try to be their best selves for us. So let’s stop the vagueness because we all know precisely what the answer is when we get asked, “So what are we?”.​

You may already be in the thick of your sexy summer and you may already have dealt with some of the dilemmas mentioned above. However, there is still one absolute non-negotiable that I think every excellent sexy summer includes, and obviously, that is lots and lots of sex. But here, I want to hammer in the point that a good hot girl/boy summer includes lots and lots of safe sex. Listen, I can’t control this, and at the end of the day, you have to do what you want to do, but consider that it’s never just you putting your health at risk. To this day, it always surprises me how few people regularly test for STIs. Let’s play a little game: When last did you test, how often do you test, and then ask when last (if ever, which is a scary thought) those around you tested? See the dilemma? I’m all about fun, but I’m all about safe fun. So here’s a little tip: if you meet a guy that says he can’t wear condoms or that they feel bad, he’s lying. And if you ever meet someone who can’t show you a recent test or isn’t willing to test, RUN. South Africa has rampant levels of STI infections across all classes and groupings – outside the ongoing HIV epidemic – so please, please, please go and get comprehensive tests done at institutions like Marie Stopes or order home testing kits from Famka or similar sites, particularly if you have multiple sexual partners.

Photographed by Tim Samuel, courtesy of pexels

You’re well on your way to having the hottest and sauciest of summers, but I want to consider one last point, and it’s precisely that: consideration. In these times, be present and considerate not only to those around you but also to yourself. Have good, well-rounded inner dialogue to check in on your emotional well-being, centre yourself in well yourself rather than all the outward distractions, and be the thing in which you route your joy. It’s safer than rooting your happiness in a surfer bro that may or may not have chlamydia. Just food for thought.

Written by: Casey Delport

For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za