Javett-UP

Javett-UP is proud to present ‘We Didn’t Choose to be Born Here’ (2020 - ongoing) by Thero Makepe (@theromakepe ) (b. 1996, Botswana). The exhibition explores Botswana and South Africa’s socio-political fabric through a personal lens. Through staged portraiture, documentary images, personal and public archival materials and re-enactments, Makepe researches, uncovers and weaves personal family stories with national histories. A first iteration of ‘We Didn’t Choose to be Born Here’ was shown at Lemkus Gallery, Cape Town in February 2025. This iteration is the artist’s first institutional solo exhibition. His first monograph, published by the PHMuseum in Italy, will be released in 2026. Curated by Storm Janse van Rensburg (@stormjvr ), the exhibition opens 15 May 2026 and runs until 13 February 2027. 🗓️ Mark your calendars! Javett-UP is open Tuesday to Saturday (10:00–17:00, last entry at 16:00) and the last Sunday of every month. #ComeToJavettUP #NewExhibition #TheroMakepe

The Javett-UP, in partnership with the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI), is excited to present the Top 10 emerging artists selected for the 2025/26 Tlhagella Incubation Programme. This cohort will shine in a career-changing exhibition opening this April 2026 . Introducing Tlhagella Top 10: Abdullah Akram @abdullahkrm01 Hulisani Khorombi @Hulis_camera Kgothatso Clinton Mokale @clinton.km Mohapi Pepenene @lb8b0000 Patience Kekana @patience414298 Regina Manapo Makoae @regina_makoae_art Senzelw’umusa Mathe @studio.senzi Thandi Baloyi @She_Portrayys Thato Mothobi @thatomothobifineart Ziyanda Mkhosana griefeater.png We congratulate all artists and appreciate the commitment shown in the past months of training. Tlhagella -meaning “show up” - is a call to action for artists to step forward and seek meaningful visibility. Funded by CFLI, this programme supports emerging, under-represented visual artists residing in Tshwane and surrounding Gauteng areas. As part of the programme, the cohort have been receiving training in curatorial and exhibition practices, including curatorial support, stipends, and marketing assistance to professionally present their work. Additionally, five participants’ artworks have been commissioned to create unique pieces transformed into limited edition prints and merchandise collections which will launch with the exhibition. Watch this space. #Tlhagella #ShowUp #Create #CFLI2025 #CanadaFundSouthAfrica

This March, the Javett-UP Tower is Re-imagined with two new exhibitions, 𝙊𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙄𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣: 𝙎𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙎𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙣 𝘼𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝘼𝙧𝙩 and 𝙙𝙞𝙩š𝙬𝙖𝙩š𝙝𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙜 , a solo installation by Tshwane-based artist @cow.mash . On view from 24 March, these exhibitions provide an immersive experience, bringing together material culture and artistic production from the 1800s to the present. They explore themes of African Humanism, indigenous technologies, ancestral knowledge and the garden as a metaphorical site of creativity and imagination. 𝙊𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙄𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣: 𝙎𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙎𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙣 𝘼𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝘼𝙧𝙩 explores Southern African material culture from the 18th and early 19th centuries as an expression of lived experience and knowledge. The collection was started by Jonathan Lowen in Johannesburg in the 1960s, continued in London for three decades, and was acquired by Harry Oppenheimer in the mid-1980s, returning to South Africa. The exhibition is realised through vital partnerships with the @universityofpretoria Heritage Conservation Programme, The Brenthurst Library; and is made possible by the Australian High Commission in South Africa @auhcsouthafrica 𝙙𝙞𝙩š𝙬𝙖𝙩š𝙝𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙜, translated as “they come from the field / the origins of the land,” speaks to lineage, source, and belonging. It is both spatial and spiritual, understanding land as place and as memory, ancestry, and knowledge. Curated by Puleng Plessie @pplessie and Storm Janse van Rensburg @stormjvr , the exhibition reflects @cow.mash practice of working across time while imagining speculative futures where indigenous knowledge systems and spiritual cosmologies coexist and evolve. To view the exhibitions, visit between Tuesday to Saturday and the last Sunday of every month, from 10:00am - 16:00pm. #TheTowerReimagined #ComeToJavettUP

The Javett-UP is deeply saddened by the passing of cultural worker and media giant Maria McCloy, who died after a heart failure on the evening of Tuesday, 12 May 2026. Maria McCloy was a trusted collaborator whose industry expertise enriched our exhibitions and programmes. As a seasoned publicist and creative, she dedicated her career to shining a spotlight on South Africa’s art, culture, and heritage. Her work amplified the voices of both established icons and emerging talents, leaving an indelible mark on the artistic and cultural landscape. Her commitment to nurturing young artists was most evident in her role as ambassador for our ongoing Tlhagella Incubation Programme. In this capacity, she not only helped us identify emerging talent but also offered invaluable mentorship, guiding the next generation of creatives with generosity and insight. Our final moment with her was at the exhibition opening of 𝘽𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙀𝙡𝙨𝙚𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 by the Tlhagella Top 10 Artists on 01 May 2026, where she witnessed the impact of her contribution firsthand. We extend our heartfelt condolences to her family, friends, and colleagues across the industry. The arts community has lost a powerful voice and advocate. Maria McCloy’s legacy will continue to inspire, and her memory will remain a beacon for all who believe in the transformative power of art. May her soul rest in peace. #ripmariamccloy

Complete caption: The exhibition opening of 𝘽𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙀𝙡𝙨𝙚𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 was….? For us, the gathering was a memorable celebration of artistic growth, collaboration, and community. We extend our sincere gratitude to the High Commissioner for Canada in South Africa James Christoff, whose support through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives continues to make the Tlhagella Incubation Programme possible. Congratulations to the exhibiting artists, curator, and programme ambassadors on successfully mounting this exhibition. The celebration of your work would also not have been complete without the presence of families, friends, and colleagues, who honoured the invitation on 01 May 2026. So, Thank you! 𝘽𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙀𝙡𝙨𝙚𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 exhibition gathers the voices of Tlhagella Top 10 emerging artists, whose works reflect on history, the body, and the spaces they inhabit. The title speaks to being in more than one place at once -between spiritual and physical, past and present, intergenerational and self, home and elsewhere, memory and lived experience. Exhibiting artists are: ( @abdullahkrm01 ), Hulisani Khorombi ( @Hulis_camera ), Kgothatso Clinton Mokale ( @clinton.km ), Mohapi Pepenene ( @lb8b0000 ), Patience Kekana ( @patience414298 ), Regina Manapo Makoae ( @regina_makoae_art ), Senzelw’umusa Mathe ( @studio.senzi ), Thandi Baloyi ( @She_Portrayys ), Thato Mothobi ( @thatomothobifineart ), and Ziyanda Mkhosana ( @griefeater.png ). The exhibition is officially open for public viewing until August 2026. Visit us for viewing between Tuesday to Saturday (10:00–17:00, last entry at 16:00) and the last Sunday of every month. #Tlhagella #ShowUp #Create #CanadaFundSouthAfrica

Thero Makepe (b. 1996) is an artist born and raised in Gaborone, Botswana. He currently works between Gaborone, Cape Town and Johannesburg. Makepe completed his Bachelor of Fine Art with distinction at the University of Cape Town, majoring in photography. Makepe's practice reflects on personal and societal narratives of his upbringing in Botswana and South Africa. His approach to photography employs a variety of photographic styles, including staged portraiture, documentary photography and re-enactments. In 2023, he was awarded the Foam Talent Award 2024-2025, and in 2024, he received the Prince Claus Seed Award. In 2025, he was selected to be a participant in the World Press Photo Joop Swart Masterclass. Makepe’s work has been exhibited at the Foam Museum in Amsterdam and the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation in Frankfurt. Public collections featuring his work include the University of Cape Town Works of Art Collection and the University of Pretoria Art Collection. Makepe is a founding member of the Botswana Pavillion, an artist collective dedicated to developing Botswana’s artistic archive. In 2025, he received the PHMuseum, Photobook Award for his ongoing body of the work, ‘We Didnt Chose to be Born Here’. His solo exhibition 𝙒𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣'𝙩 𝘾𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙏𝙤 𝘽𝙚 𝘽𝙤𝙧𝙣 𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚 opens this Friday at Javett-UP. Don't miss it!

Ziyanda Mkhosana is one of the Tlhagella Top 10 Artists selected to shine in a group exhibition 𝘽𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙀𝙡𝙨𝙚𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 opening this Friday 01 May. Her practice is an ongoing search for understanding, compassion, and personal growth, shaped by her lived experience as a Black woman in South Africa. Working through performance and image-making, she centres her body as both subject and medium, recognising it as a political site through which histories of race, gender, and labour are inscribed and negotiated. @griefeater.png draws from her grandmother’s life, as well as the broader experiences of Black women, to interrogate the enduring structures that shape domestic labour and social positioning. More than three decades into democracy, her work reflects on the continued exploitation of domestic workers while grappling with her own emotional inheritance. RSVP on the link in bio to attend the exhibition opening this Friday. Tlhagella programme is made possible by Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI). #Tlhagella #Top10 #ShowUp #Create #CanadaFundSouthAfrica

Tlhagella Top 10 artist Thandi Baloyi is a painter and sculptor who was born and raised in Tembisa. Her painting practice explores trauma, liberation, and the female gaze through representations of her own body. As a Tsonga woman and a survivor of sexual violence, she uses her work to navigate processes of healing and reclaiming autonomy, positioning the body as both subject and site of transformation. Through this practice, @she_portrayys aims to confront the commodification of women’s bodies and to open space for more nuanced, empowered, and self-defined representations of Black womanhood. Thandi is one of the Tlhagella Top 10 Artists selected to shine in group exhibition 𝘽𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙀𝙡𝙨𝙚𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 opening this Friday 01 May. To attend, RSVP on the link in bio. The Tlhagella programme is made possible by Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI). #Tlhagella #Top10 #ShowUp #Create #CanadaFundSouthAfrica

Thato Mothobi’s practice is an auto-ethnographic exploration of memory, place, and the emotional and spatial distances that shape postcolonial identity. His work spans photography, digital montage, and printmaking, engaging the family archive as both material and method, and treating photographs as sites of inquiry rather than static records. In the series The Space Between, @thatomothobifineart returns to his childhood community to trace the complexities of belonging, mapping the tension between memory and lived reality. Catch Thato’s work in Tlhagella Incubation Programme Top 10’s group exhibition 𝘽𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙀𝙡𝙨𝙚𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 opening on 01 May. RSVP on link in bio. Tlhagella programme is made possible by Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI). #Tlhagella #Top10 #ShowUp #Create #CanadaFundSouthAfrica

Tlhagella Top 10 artist Abdullah Akram’s practice explores the experience of existing between cultures, shaped by my South African upbringing and Pakistani heritage. He is interested in the condition of “third culture” identity and the ways in which individuals are positioned as “other” within social and cultural systems that demand fixed belonging. He examines how colonial and neo-liberal histories continue to shape contemporary understandings of identity, difference, and assimilation. Working across painting, textiles, found imagery, and installation, @abdullahkrm01 uses mixed media to reflect layered narratives of migration, trade, and cultural exchange. His process often involves combining materials and references that speak to both personal memory and broader historical contexts. Catch Abdul’s work in Tlhagella Incubation Programme Top 10’s group exhibition 𝘽𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙀𝙡𝙨𝙚𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 opening on 01 May. RSVP on link in bio. Tlhagella programme is made possible by Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI). #Tlhagella #Top10 #ShowUp #Create #CanadaFundSouthAfrica

Senzelw’umusa Mathe is a designer who has found a voice in working with crochet, a technique passed down from her maternal grandmother. She use it to create portraits that honour inherited knowledge while asserting contemporary presence. Her practice centres on reclamation, empowerment, and the celebration of Black women through portraiture and material processes grounded in lineage and care. @studio.senzi also works with woven beadwork, drawing from isiZulu traditions inherited from her paternal grandmother, where colour, pattern, and form carry layered meanings of identity and emotion. Many of her pieces depict family members, allowing her to document personal histories and affirm intimacy through portraiture. Senzi is part of the Tlhagella Incubation Programme Top 10’s group exhibition 𝘽𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙀𝙡𝙨𝙚𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 opening on 01 May. To see her work at the exhibition opening, RSVP on the link in bio. Tlhagella programme is made possible by Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI). #Tlhagella #Top10 #ShowUp #Create #canadafundsouthafrica

In her work, Regina Mokoae reflects on the intimacy between mother and child, focusing on hair as both material and metaphor for care, identity, and connection. Using synthetic hair, @regina_makoae_art creates soft sculptural forms that hold memories of tenderness, attentiveness, and the labour involved in nurturing relationships. The ponytail appears as a recurring symbol in her work, representing one of the first gestures of learning and bonding between mother and child, and the transmission of knowledge through touch. Regina’s work is part of the Tlhagella Incubation Programme Top 10’s group exhibition 𝘽𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙀𝙡𝙨𝙚𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 opening on 01 May. To attend the exhibition opening, RSVP on the link in bio. Tlhagella programme is made possible by Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI). #Tlhagella #Top10 #ShowUp #Create #canadafundsouthafrica