Using fabric scraps, felt made locally and patient stitching, these artworks are brought to life by the collaboration between the artist and the embroiderer.
The Keiskamma Art Project was founded by Dr Carol Hofmeyr in 2000, in the Eastern Cape village of Hamburg. She encouraged a small group of women to learn embroidery, which today has become a large band of artists who generate income through the sales of the high quality craft they produce.
The Keiskamma Art Project is part of a wider thrust to rejuvenate and restore a landscape and a people fractured by generations of conflict and suppression. This sense of reawakening is woven into the daily fabric of life and finds expression in the efforts of the 130 men and women whose lives are strengthened through the work of the project. Through art, they tell their story of courage and strength to audiences around the world. Artists from Hamburg and neighbouring villages work together in a variety of mediums on craft items and award winning art of monumental scale that are exhibited both in South Africa and internationally.
EXHIBITIONS
2016
The Rain Maker, annual Winter Solstice exhibition at The Cape Gallery
2015
Natural Affinities, group exhibition at The Cape Gallery
2014
Entyatyambeni; an exhibition of botanical collages at The Cape Gallery
2013
Botanicals at Mc Mullen Gallery - Edmonton (Canada)
The Keiskamma Altarpiece in Hamburg, Germany (28th April - 26th May at Christuskirche)
Series of 4 Tapestries for Boughton Castle (UK)
Carnival of the Animals at Grahamstown National Arts Festival
The Difference Loom (temporary exhibition of Keiskamma Guernica) at the National Gallery (Cape Town)
Kirstenbosch Biennale with Kuru Art Project
2012
The A.R.T. show with a replica of the Keiskamma Guernica (curated by Carol Brown with Make Art Stop AIDS): Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg
Series of 3 Tapestries for Boughton Castle (UK)
The Human Rights Tapestry at the Human Rights Arts and Film Festival in Melbourne (Australia)
Amtsgericht (Kassel, Germany- during Documenta 13) with “Manifest0” and “Just us at work tapestries” - a collaboration between American Artist Deborah Doering and Keiskamma Artists Cebo Mvubu and Veronica Betani
27th June – 8th July: Keiskamma Guernica on display at the Smithsonian FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL in Washington DC
22nd August - 31st October: Creating Connections at Oude Libertas Gallery (Stellenbosch) with Botanical artworks and a collaboration with Kuru Project (Botswana)
8th-29th August: Pointure at University of Johannesburg (UJ) Art Gallery with the Children Altarpiece
29th Aug – 25th Nov: 13th Venice Biennale (Biennale Architettura 2012) with Keiskamma Guernica
September: The Keiskamma Altarpiece at the Faculty of Theology (Stellenbosch) – Sold to Private Collection
October: Photographs of the Keiskamma Altarpiece and the Keiskamma Guernica at Southbank Centre (London)
2011
June-July “Etyatyambeni / In Flowers” exhibition at Oude Libertas Gallery (Stellenbosch), sponsored by the Arts and Culture Trust and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Sales to Vergelegen and Tokara Wine Estates.
July The Dune Walk sold to the International Convention Centre (East London)
August “Nguni exhibition” for the launch of Margaret Poland’s book Recessional for Grace
BASA Chairman’s Premier Award
22m long tapestry about the history of Rhodes University, commissioned by Rhodes University
Aware!2FOware exhibition – Artworks about Women empowerment (Cape Town)
2010
Keiskamma Altar piece in Make Art/Stop AIDS exhibition starting on the 25th of February in Durban, co-curated by David Gere and Carol Brown: Durban Art Gallery, Museum Africa (Johannesburg), Iziko Slave Lodge (Cape Town).
Grahamstown National Arts Festival with the Keiskamma Guernica installation
Kirstenbosch Art Biennale with Botanical Artworks: Cycad, Aloes and Dune Walk
Keiskamma Guernica at Wits (Johannesburg) for the Drama for Life Festival (21-28th August 2010)
The Creation Altarpiece sold to UNISA Art Gallery (Pretoria)
Keiskamma Guernica sold to Red Location Museum (Port Elizabeth)
Joint exhibition with Kuru Project in Gaborone (Botswana)
2009
Set of 26 double-sided tapestries for Murray and Roberts Ltd
Confection of the Trophies for BASA competition 2009.
Finalist at the 12th Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) awards 2009 through the Murray & Roberts Women’s Art Project in two categories: First Time Sponsor and Single Project
The Creation Altarpiece at UNISA Art Gallery (Pretoria)
‘Children playing games’, triptych made of textile art, wire and bead work and photography is commissioned by Durban Municipality to be part of the decoration of Moses Mabhida Stadium, part of the venues for the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
2008
Take me also for your child Altar piece on permanent show at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum, Port Elizabeth
Saint George Cathedral in Cape Town with the Creation Altarpiece and Felt Tree Panels.
The Creation Altar piece and Felt work in the SASOL hall in Johannesburg.
The Keiskamma Altar piece in Southwark Cathedral in London, United Kingdom
Brazil through the Department of Arts and Culture.
The Cream Tapestry sold to Lance Clark (UK)
2007
Grahamstown National Arts Festival with Creation Altarpiece.
First felt piece at the Fibreworks Ten Exhibition in Cape Town
Embroidered patterns from Pakamani on exhibition in Barcelona, Spain.
The Creation Altar piece and Bird friezes on show at Everard Read Gallery, Johannesburg
2006
Game Auction Exhibition.
The Cream Tapestry in East London Museum.
The Keiskamma Altar piece and Icons at University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
The Keiskamma Altar piece is touring Canada and the United-States
Tapestries about Johannesburg and Icons on show at Everard Read Gallery, Johannesburg
2005
The Keiskamma Altar piece created for Grahamstown National Arts Festival
The Keiskamma Altar piece at Constitutional Hill in Johannesburg.
2004
F.N.B Craft Now Exhibition: overall Gold Price for the Keiskamma Tapestry
The Keiskamma Tapestry on permanent show at the Houses of Parliament in Cape Town
Finalist at the Brett Keble Awards for the Keiskamma Tapestry
2003
The Keiskamma Tapestry at Grahamstown festival, exhibited as part of Eastern Cape Arts and Culture
2002
July – Grahamstown Arts Festival with the Vuselela garments
National Awards Exhibition in Newtown in Johannesburg.
Exhibition in Cotswolds and Oxford, United Kingdom with hand-made dolls
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