TL;TR
The 2024 Absa L’Atelier Gerard Sekoto Award winner, Lusanda Ndita, has opened his first solo exhibition, Indlela ibomvu, at Gallery MOMO. The exhibition follows a three-month Paris residency and examines memory, migration and family histories through photography, printmaking and collage, highlighting how personal archives shape contemporary African identity.
Details
- Artist: Lusanda Ndita
- Project:Indlela ibomvu
- Opening Date: 12 June 2026
- Exhibition Dates: 13 June – 11 July 2026
- Venue: Gallery MOMO
- Programme: 2026 Absa Pan-African Exhibition Series
- Partners: Absa L’Atelier, South African National Association for the Visual Arts (SANAVA), Institut Français d’Afrique du Sud (IFAS)
- Access: Free entry
Lusanda Ndita’s Debut Solo Exhibition Explores Memory, Absence and Inherited Identity
19 June 2026
The debut solo exhibition by visual artist Lusanda Ndita has opened at Gallery MOMO, marking a significant moment in the artist’s career and the latest chapter in the long-running Absa L’Atelier programme. Titled Indlela ibomvu, the exhibition follows Ndita’s three-month residency at Cité Internationale des Arts, awarded through the Gerard Sekoto Award and facilitated in partnership with SANAVA and IFAS.
The exhibition also launches Absa’s 2026 Pan-African exhibition programme, which aims to showcase emerging and established African artists across the continent while creating greater visibility for contemporary African creative work.
Reconstructing Family Histories Through Art
Drawing on domestic archives, oral histories and personal narratives, Indlela ibomvu examines how identity is formed through memory, migration and inheritance. Central to the exhibition is an exploration of absent paternal figures and the ways family histories continue to shape future generations.
“Through this body of work, I wanted to explore how memory is carried across generations and how family histories continue to shape who we become,” says Ndita. “By working with personal archives and oral histories, I am interested in the ways stories are preserved, reinterpreted and passed on, even in the presence of absence.”
Working across photography, printmaking and collage, Ndita constructs layered visual narratives that embrace fragmentation and reconstruction. The result is a body of work that positions the archive not as a fixed historical record but as a living space where memory, loss and belonging remain in constant dialogue.
The Role of Artistic Development Programmes
For nearly four decades, the Absa L’Atelier programme has served as a pipeline for emerging artistic talent, offering mentorship, professional development, international exposure and exhibition opportunities. The Gerard Sekoto Award remains one of its most prestigious recognitions.
According to Dr. Paul Bayliss, Senior Specialist: Art and Museum Curator at Absa Group, the exhibition demonstrates how investment in artistic development can translate into meaningful cultural contributions. Following his Paris residency, Ndita’s latest work reflects both personal storytelling and broader conversations around identity, lineage and collective memory within contemporary African society.
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📸: Supplied
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