For Gqeberha visual artist Banele Njadayi, movement is more than a physical act — it is a way of carrying memory, history and hope into the future.
His first solo exhibition, MAYIYE, brings together paintings, charcoal drawings and mixed-media works that explore what is carried, what is inherited and, ultimately, what can be released.
MAYIYE reflects on memory, movement, identity and the enduring resilience of black life at Art on Target Gallery from August 28 to September 28.
The exhibition will feature a new body of paintings, charcoal drawings and mixed-media works.
MAYIYE, meaning “let it go”, “let it move”, or “let it flow forward”, reflects on emotional, spiritual and physical journeys, acknowledging the mothers, ancestors, workers and communities whose strength continues to shape contemporary black life.
Through expressive mixed-media works, the exhibition considers themes of migration, labour, motherhood, hope, transition and healing, inviting audiences into a space of reflection, release and transformation.
“MAYIYE is an offering to those whose quiet strength often goes unseen.
“It honours the people who carry families, communities and histories forward, while asking what it means to move beyond inherited burdens without forgetting those who made our paths possible,” Njadayi said.
His artistic practice examines the intersections of origin, identity formation, care, resilience and lived experience.
Working across oil paint, acrylic, charcoal, collage, found materials and textured surfaces, he creates layered works that serve as visual archives of personal and collective histories.
Art on Target director Bretten-Anne Moolman said it was a privilege for the gallery to be hosting the first solo exhibition by an artist she had been mentoring and watching with keen interest since his student days.
“Banele has an incredible mastery of diverse techniques and materials, but more important is his ability to use these to speak in a unique and exciting voice as a visual artist telling stories of lived experience while also contributing to contemporary conversations within South African art.
“Hosting his inaugural solo exhibition demonstrates Art on Target’s role in showcasing rising, exciting artistic voices from Nelson Mandela Bay and the Eastern Cape.
“It also provides a platform for young artists to reach an audience of discerning art lovers and buyers, as a natural extension of our work in visual arts education and artist development,” Moolman said.
Njadayi’s work draws on the legacies of SA masters Gerard Sekoto, George Pemba and Sam Nhlengethwa, whose portrayals of township life elevated everyday experiences into powerful narratives of survival, dignity and humanity, while he brings a contemporary, globally-influenced approach to his work.
Njadayi is also responsible for the recent series of eye-catching, black-and-white murals commissioned by the Mandela Bay Development Agency, depicting icons of SA cultural and political life connected to Nelson Mandela Bay on the freeway pillars along Steve Biko Street.
With MAYIYE, Njadayi invites viewers not simply to observe, but to engage deeply with questions of memory, healing and collective responsibility.
The exhibition challenges audiences to confront the emotional realities embedded within black bodies, histories and lived experiences, encouraging reflection that extends beyond the gallery space.
The opening is on Friday August 28 at 6pm, and it runs until September 28.
The gallery is open from 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday, and 9am to 1pm on Saturdays.
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The Herald