Currently on display at the Everard Read Gallery in Cape Town, Garingani Wa Garingani, a captivating solo exhibition by Khanyisa Agnes Brancon, invites viewers into a poignant exploration of identity, loss, and continuity. Presented by the BNAP Foundation, this remarkable showcase comes from the 2025 Blessing Ngobeni Art Prize winner, who tackles deep-seated themes of cultural adaptation and human migration, weaving an intricate tapestry that resonates with the eternal quest for belonging.
Brancon articulates her vision powerfully: “Through this work, I offer my own voice to the chorus of ancestral storytelling, adding my chapter to the ongoing epic of human migration, cultural adaptation, and the eternal search for home.” It is this sentiment that sets the stage for a compelling body of work that deftly traverses the realms of memory and presence, connecting the red earth of Tzaneen with the stark realities of urban life.
The title of the exhibition, drawn from traditional Tsonga language, carries ancestral weight, invoking a sacred call that bridged the past with the present. It serves as a reminder of the generations that have come before: the voices that have shaped our collective experience, beckoning us to reconnect with our roots. In Brancon’s hands, this invocation transforms into a thoughtful meditation on the ways in which history shapes our modern identities.
As the exhibition unfolds, it reveals three interconnected realms that allow audiences to engage deeply with Brancon’s vision. The photographic installations capture fleeting gestures, intimate glances, and moments of profound reflection, delicately balancing visibility and absence. In these visual narratives, viewers are encouraged to witness life as it eludes grasp, preserving fragments that risk fading into memory.
Brancon’s printmaking elevates the experience, giving depth and texture to each piece while echoing the accumulated history found within. The layered meanings reflect the nuances of identity and the intricacies of cultural evolution. Sculptural installations further develop the narrative, creating spaces where presence and absence intertwine, as audiences navigate forms that resonate with loss yet celebrate continuity.
At its core, Garingani Wa Garingani is also a meditation on the maternal lineage—a tribute to the women whose choices shape our very identities. As Brancon traces the paths of ancestry, her work articulates a journey, exploring how stories of migration and adaptation ripple across time. Each artwork becomes a tributary, feeding into the larger river of human experience, transforming the personal into the universal.
Brancon’s exhibition stands as a powerful testament to the transformative nature of art, illustrating its ability to bridge disparate realms and convey shared humanity. It invites visitors not merely as observers but as active participants in the narrative, moving through a landscape rich with visual and tactile stories that echo across generations. The past is not a distant memory; rather, it remains vibrant and alive within each frame, print, and sculpture.
Picture: sourced from Evarard Read Gallery