Cape Town-based art gallery, Southern Guild, has announced it will be expanding to Los Angeles in February 2024, making it the country’s first fine art and collectible design dealer to open a permanent gallery space in the US.
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Located on Western Avenue in a historic 1920s building in the Melrose Hill section of Hollywood, the 5 000-square-foot outpost will feature three large-scale exhibition spaces designed by art-world favourite Evan Raabe Architecture Studio.
The expansion is a milestone that has been 16 years in the making, Southern Guild’s co-founders said in a Facebook post.
‘Over the past 16 years, Southern Guild has grown tremendously. From a single gallery in Cape Town and a small roster of artists to include numerous exhibition spaces, artists studios, a residency programme and regular participation in art fairs around the world,’ said co-founder Trevyn McGowan.
‘But our expansion to the United States is truly a milestone. We are thrilled to broaden our reach by providing a permanent platform to showcase our artists’ unparalleled work in the United States,’ Added Trevyn.
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The interior transformation of the LA branch is intended to provide a flexible setting in which to showcase the guild’s now expansive roster of artists from South Africa, Benin, Congo, Iran, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and beyond.
Focusing on Africa’s rich tradition of utilitarian and ritualistic art through multidisciplinary artforms since its opening in 2008, the gallery has upheld an ethos of cultural exchange by representing African narratives and bringing the ancestral into conversation with the contemporary.
The dual inaugural exhibitions in Los Angeles will include ‘Mother Tongues’, which celebrates standout artists from the gallery’s roster, and a solo exhibition of monumental ceramic sculptures by Zizipho Poswa
Southern Guild’s ‘Armory Show’ will also be debuting at the Javits Centre in New York City this week from 8 to 10 September
Situated in the main section of the fair in Manhattan’s West Side, the gallery’s booth will feature sculptural artist Zizipho Poswa (South Africa), painters Kamyar Bineshtarigh (Iran/South South Africa) and Manyaku Mashilo (South Africa) and conceptual artist Oluseye (Nigeria/UK/Canada).
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Picture: Southern Guild / Facebook