Athi-Patra Ruga – Of Gods, Rainbows and Omissions

4 Oct 2018 – 7 Jan 2019

Somerset House and 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair are proud to present the first major solo UK exhibition of internationally renowned South African artist Athi-Patra Ruga. The exhibition reveals a mythical world which challenges perceptions of cultural identity and parodies the construction of the post-apartheid South African nation state. For the first time, Ruga bring together three seminal bodies of work – The Future White Women of Azania, Queens in Exile and The Beatification of Feral Benga – showcasing his diverse multidisciplinary practice. The exhibition will run until 7 January 2019.

Born in Umtata, South Africa and now based in Cape Town, Ruga is the figurehead for a new generation of South African artists. Throughout his career, Ruga has adopted avatars and created characters through whom he addresses ideologies, social and state structures, and the politics of gender inequality. By adopting these characters, Ruga has been empowered to confront the complex truths of his nation’s colonial history, post-colonial present, and his own personal experiences as a queer Xhosa man.

Somerset House
Strand, WC2R 1LA
London
UK
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7845 4600
www.somersethouse.org.uk