Last week Thursday I attended the exhibition opening of Tintin in Africa, a fun and light hearted display of South African talent.
The Tintin in Africa exhibition is a group collaboration exhibition curated by Dylan Thomaz, illustrations by Maria Magdalena van Wyk and ceramics by Sarah Benjamin-Groll. This exhibition took me back a few years, growing up I loved the adventures of Tintin and his beloved dog Snowy and seeing them in a context I could relate to was something special.
If you are in Cape Town over the next month, make sure to visit…
EXHIBITION DETAILS:
2 – 31 July 2015
Studio Dylan Thomaz
142 Buitengracht Street
Cape Town.
I sat down with the talented and all round lovely Maria Magdalena van Wyk to have her elaborate on this illustration story for us….
“Tintin arrives at the southern point of Africa in a whirlwind of beads and patterns. He is confused that there is no electricity. After consulting with Google he tries to explain the concept of load shedding to a frightened Snowy. Tintin had heard about the Zulu tribe in South Africa and travelled to Kwazulu-Natal to take a #Zelfie. He shared the #Zelfie with all of his Instagram followers to proudly announce his arrival in South Africa. One of Tintin’s followers suggested a Springbok rugby game and braai so he went to find a good spot in the wilderness where the South African springbokke graze peacefully and brought his newly purchased rugby ball along.
Tintin and Snowy then set off in search of the Karoo to ride an ostrich. Snowy was upset that he couldn’t ride the ostrich and decided to run away in search of his own adventure.
Snowy found a friendly looking meerkat family but they ran away when they saw a gang of kleptomaniac baboons approaching to kidnap him. The baboons soon realized that Snowy was foreign and hadn’t packed any padkos so decided to return him to Tintin in exchange for a packet of NikNaks.”
Above: Maria Magdalena van Wyk
Above: “Tintin arrives at the southern point of Africa in a whirlwind of beads and patterns. He is confused that there is no electricity. After consulting with Google he tries to explain the concept of load shedding to a frightened Snowy.”
Above: The exhibition space being transformed with bold traditonal African prints, Ndebele patterns, expertly curated by Dylan Thomaz
Through out this story I couldn’t help but feel proud, proud to be South African. Proud that our country has so much to offer, that our heritage runs so deep and that I grew up with the pleasure of having NikNak stained fingers, while sometimes it can be difficult to see the silver lining I do love South Africa… (With or without load shedding, lol)
If you would like to purchase a print or two visit Maria Magdalena van Wyk online store , or pop in to one of my fave pop up store in Gardens centre, Fabricate.
xxx
All photographs by The Lion & The Lady.