Aaron Philander

Lemkus Gallery is excited to announce its first duo residency between Aaron Philander and Smiso Cele, an ambitious attempt to allow promising young artists to practice in community. Aaron Philander (b. 2002) is a Cape Town based artist sculptor working primarily with timber and found objects. Since his graduation from the Michaelis School of Fine Art in 2024, Philander has earned a strong reputation for his ability to transform discarded yet powerfully charged household articles into poetic assemblages that reflect intimately on questions of self,family and collective memory. His works trouble the tension of racial inhabitation in the aftermath of apartheid and offers a unique generational perspective on the ways oppressive structures can be traced psychologically and materially. Notable solo exhibitions include 𝑁𝑎𝑛𝑎’𝑠 𝐾𝑖𝑡𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑛 at AVA Gallery in 2025 and 𝐽𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐵𝑜𝑥 as a part of Everard Read’s Cubicle Series in 2026. For his upcoming residency project, Aaron is interested in broadening his reference pool through research and dialogue, finding new discursive tools to frame his practice, and experimenting with new forms of material treatment and kinesis. Smiso Cele (b. Port Shepstone, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa) is Johannesburg-based artist with a distinct and exciting visual language. Like Philander, Cele has a strong propensity for timber-based sculptural work and is similarly interested in the relationship between domestic spaces and the public domain. His work takes seriously the problem of space inherent in an injured South Africa, and uses the allegory of a common bedroom to convey the extent of unfinished structural progress. He is the recipient of the 2025 Cassirer Welz Award and subsequent Bag Factory residency. Significant solo presentations include 𝑂𝑓 𝑃𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑈𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛 (2024) and 𝑁𝑔𝑖𝑦𝑖𝑏𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑖?(2025). Smiso hopes to extend his ongoing project, 𝐸𝑏ℎ𝑢𝑞𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑖, which uses shovels to explore the familial legacy of gardening inspired by his father’s vocation of two decades.

WIP after the first few weeks in residence with Aaron Philander and Smiso Cele. Some wonderful material interventions have been taking place since the onset of their project. We’re so excited to see how they progress as they work towards their concurrent solo exhibitions. @aaronphilander_ @smiso02 Photography by Calhoun Matthews

Balance 🧘🏽‍♂️

Super grateful to be showing with @galerie_eigenart at @investeccapetownartfair from 20 to 22 February 2026. At booth D2 in the Main Section, alongside some amazing artists Birgit Brenner @birgit_brenner_art Gabrielle Kruger @gabriellekruger Cazlynne Peffer @caz_theartist Brett Charles Seiler @brettseiler

@investeccapetownartfair this week with @galerie_eigenart ! “Cut off your knee to spite your foot!”, 2026

Excited to be showing in @investeccapetownartfair with @galerie_eigenart Featured work: High Tea, 2026

“Under Supervision” 2025 @everard_read_cape_town_

Grazed (2025) @everard_read_cape_town_

Cut Off The Infection (2025) @everard_read_cape_town_

“Jack in the box” Join us at 10am @everard_read_cape_town_ Saturday 24th for the January 2026 Cubicle Series walkabout. Followed by drinks on the lawn. 📷 Mike Hall

Excited to be apart of this! CUBICLE | JANUARY 2026 12 - 24 January Cubicle is an ongoing platform at Everard Read Cape Town, giving artists scope to exhibit smaller bodies of artworks and site-specific installations for a two week period. WALKABOUT & DRINKS ON THE LAWN 10:00 SATURDAY 24th JANUARY This edition features: KUTTI COLLECTIVE @ kutticollective KAROU MBULELO PARADISE LOKOTO @ mbuleloparielokoto THE BLUES OF MAKASANA LEAH MASCHER @ leahluxmascher SO MANY PEOPLE IN THE NIGHT KAMVA MATUIS @ matuiskamva INDEBE YAM IYAPHALALA AARON PHILANDER @ aaronphilander_ JACK IN THE BOX TURNING INTO FLOWERS @ turningintoflowers OUMIE’S FLOWERS Special thanks to the Everard Read Team: @emmajvandermerwe @lenasulik @faith.shields_ @chloe.adms

NOW SHOWING: Aaron Philander (b.2002) PA’s morning paper, 2025 Newspaper, metal clip, egg pan, fork, and varnish on a wooden board H37 x W40 x D21 • Aaron Philander (b. 2002- ) is a South African sculptor exploring themes of identity, memory, and domestic life through his work. Drawing on his coloured heritage, Philander uses inherited and found materials—such as rusted tools and broken furniture—often sourced from his grandmother’s home. These objects serve as personal archives and cultural artefacts, reflecting the complexities of belonging in a society defined by narrow identity categories. In his notable exhibition “Nanna’s Kitchen” at the AVA Gallery in Cape Town, Philander presented works like “Cleaning is Comfort” and “Self Betrayal,” reimagining domestic spaces as sites of emotional weight and cultural negotiation. His sculptures blend hardness with vulnerability, inviting viewers to reflect on the labour embedded in everyday life and the narratives we inherit. Through tactile materials, he questions visibility, erasure, and belonging, contributing to a vital conversation about South African identity and the power of art to hold complex truths. #UnderTheAegis #Wood #Art #AaronPhilander #Family #AsTidesChange