Artist Tshepo Bopape explores water and African spirituality in solo exhibition

Renowned South African artist Tshepo Bopape is set to unveil his much-anticipated solo exhibition, Sea-Crits In The Water, at the DALRO headquarters in Bramley.

This exhibition marks the culmination of a nine-month-long artist residency. In 2024, DALRO partnered with the Blessing Ngobeni Art Prize Foundation (BNAP) to launch the inaugural DALRO Visual Arts Merit Award, which was proudly awarded to Bopape.

During his residency, Bopape was nurtured in a live-in studio at the Ellis House Art Building, where he developed a comprehensive body of work for his debut solo exhibition. His art delves into the profound connection between water and African spirituality, drawing from personal experiences in his quest for spiritual redemption. Sea-Crits In The Water emerges from his exploration of water as both a life-giving force and a powerful tool for spiritual healing.

The recipient of the 2025 DALRO Visual Arts Merit Award has said that his exploration made him contemplate which tools or elements could help reclaim innocence and lead one back to a state of peace, happiness, freedom, and justice.

"I discovered that water is not only vital for all life forms but is also a powerful mechanism for transforming one’s spiritual well-being. It has the power to heal, sustain life, and protect. This is what drew me to explore the relationship between water and the spiritual beliefs of Africans. My artistic process is deeply personal, reflecting the knowledge and experiences I have gathered in using water as a spiritual mechanism for redemption."

He added that he is on a journey to discover and attain spiritual redemption, seeking to reclaim a lost spiritual innocence eroded by life's challenges. He also shared that his storytelling approach conveys narratives through questions rather than definitive answers.

"The choice of compositional elements challenges the viewer to ask: ‘What are the effects or connotations of what I am seeing?’ rather than ‘What is the scene?’ This approach allows viewers to encode their own cosmological beliefs into the work, fostering a robust conversation,” said Bopape.

He explained that while Sea-Crits In The Water embodies multiple themes and offerings, the central concept is that water, in its essence, represents God

"Water is the centre and core of life. This highlights the urgent need to rethink how we use and preserve our precious water resources, particularly in Africa, where land dispossession and widespread water pollution have disrupted traditional relationships with water the central idea is that water, in and of itself, is God.

Bopape reflected on his time at the Ellis House Art Building residency, noting how it shaped his creative process and his role in the exhibition.

"Engaging with other artists provided invaluable peer review and transformed the direction of my practice.

"I constantly sought critique and validation from my artistic peers, and their knowledge and expertise contributed significantly to my growth over the past nine months. The environment was a source of constant inspiration, exposing me to diverse artistic processes and practices."

Sea-Crits In The Water will be showcased from April 3 to April 30 at the DALRO headquarters in Bramley.

The Star

masabata.mkwananzi@inl.co.za