1-54 London

Duncan Wylie

Duncan Wylie draws his inspiration from entropic events and images, symptomatic of accidents, wars, climate catastrophes or human follies; destruction is a sadly universal leitmotif. In this way, Wylie speaks to us about the world, bringing together unrelated universes in which disruptive elements attack the “rules of the game.” Defying the law of the dictator Mobutu, who banned the wearing of European clothes in Zaire, the sapeurs (“Société des Ambianceurs et Personnes Elégantes”) dressed up in designer outfits. In Le Sapeur et le tsunami, Duncan Wylie contrasts this figure with tsunamis - the name given to the demolition programmes of Robert Mugabe (the previous leader of Zimbabwe) - and disorder, in a striking perspective in which the dandy seems to be thumbing his nose at the chaos that surrounds him, which is no less of a threat.

Chaos has long been present in the artist’s visual vocabulary, in the form of contrasting energies opposing the forces of destruction and construction. The tsunami can also be seen here as embodying the planet’s ecological disorders, caused by human action. The character of the sapeur, stable and defined, also contrasts with the usually unstable figures (such as the Self Constructs) in his paintings, and can be interpreted as a form of imperviousness or even indifference to what is happening around him.

- Juliette Singer, Director Palais de Beaux Arts de Lille

Duncan Wylie

Duncan Wylie was born in Harare, Zimbabwe in 1975 into a family focused on art and culture (his mother was the curator at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe). He wsa trained in drawing and painting by the artist Helen Lieros, receiving the National Schools Prize of Zimbabwe in 1992 at the age of seventeen. Wylie currently lives and works in London.

Using gestural mark-making, colour, and composition, Wylie creates multi-layered paintings that convey a sense of chaos, urgency, and resilience. Represented through an exploding matrix – alternating impastos and transparencies, gradations and extremely dense strokes – the use of oil paint in Wylie’s work echos the fragile perception of ‘belonging’, a consequence of the trauma and violence of losing one’s home, while remaining defiant in expressing the courage and conviction of hope and resilience.

Wylie is an award winning painter, represented in private collections, and has exhibited in many institutions and museums, including the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Museum of Modern Art in Paris, the Palais de Tokyo, the Museum of Grenoble, the Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town, the Modern Gallery Saarbrücken, the Pinacothèque in Luxembourg, and the National Gallery of Zimbabwe. His works appear notably in the collections of the Louvre Abu Dhabi, Le CNAP, FMAC, et FNAC, MUDAM Luxembourg, the Museum of Grenoble, and in the Pritzker, Guerlain, Colas, Perrier Jouët, et Claudine et Jean Marc Salomon foundations. Duncan Wylie acquired French nationality in 2005 and lives between London and Paris.

Samuel Nnorom

Samuel Nnorom (b. 1990) is a multi-award-winning artist whose work poetically crosses tapestry-like sculpture and pre-loved Ankara wax fabric. Since early childhood, elements that now shape his contemporary practice have surrounded him: sketching portraits of customers who visited his father’s shoe shop and playing with colourful scraps from his mother’s tailoring workshop crystallised his artistic vocation.

Self-proclaimed “custodian of material culture”, Nnorom draws upon materiality in a unique way, dedicating his art to textile recycling and a sociological reflection on the human condition. Through sewing, tying and cutting, the rising artist creates intricate constellations of fabric-covered foam balls meticulously stitched together, evoking a metaphor for a “fabric of society” composed of closed social structures forming the bubbles in which our daily lives are wrapped in. Using Ankara textiles –whose origins are complex in the history of the continent, Nnorom explores its protean symbolism and reappropriates a contemporary fabric omnipresent in his community.

Currently living and working in Nsukka, Samuel Nnorom holds an MFA in sculpture from the University of Nigeria. He cumulates numerous workshops and residencies in England, South Africa, Burkina Faso, France, Senegal and Nigeria, numerous Solo shows, group shows and art fairs globally, as well as being commissioned several times for public works in his home country. He won the Africa prize 2021: Strauss & Co and Cassirer Welz Award, and a global prize for “Art for Change Award 2022” organised by M&C Saatchi Group, ex aequo the Ettore e Ines Fico Prize at the Artissima fair 2023 and 5 selected finalist for Craft Council and Brookfield Properties award UK 2023.

Driaan Claassen

Driaan Claassen (b. 1991) in Johannesburg, South Africa is renowned for his deep exploration of the human psyche through intricate and thought-provoking sculptures. His artistic journey began with a fascination for 3D animation, which eventually led to an apprenticeship with the esteemed artist Otto du Plessis at the Bronze Age Foundry. This experience profoundly shaped Claassen’s unique approach, blending traditional craftsmanship with modern technology to create works that are both intellectually engaging and visually compelling.

Working with a diverse range of materials, including wood, wire, and bronze, Claassen’s sculptures seamlessly integrate material innovation with psychological depth. His work reflects a deep fascination with themes of consciousness, order, and chaos, often employing a meticulous combination of ancient techniques and cutting-edge technology. Through this approach, he challenges viewers to contemplate the intricate interplay between the material world and the inner workings of the mind.

Claassen’s sculptures have been showcased in prestigious galleries and art fairs worldwide, including Design Miami, Design Days Dubai, and AIYA Collectible. His solo exhibitions, such as Forms of Silence at AIYA Bureau in 2022, Order and Chaos at EBONY/CURATED in 2021, and Complex Systems at THK Gallery in 2023, have solidified his status as a leading young contemporary artist. His innovative exploration of consciousness has earned him residencies at the Villa-Legodi Centre for Sculpture and Quartier am Hafen in Cologne.

Lulama Wolf

Lulama Wolf (b. 1993) is a visual artist who lives and works in Johannesburg, South Africa.

At the intersection of Neo-Expressionism and Modern African Art, Wolf interrogates the pre-colonial African experience through the contemporary mind by using smearing, scraping, and deep pigment techniques that were used in vernacular architecture, and the patterns created largely by women to decorate traditional African homes.

History and the proof of life are the core concepts in her work. Where there has rarely prior been reference of life in black spirituality, she counters that narrative by creating two dimensional paintings to embody the simplicity and deep spiritual power of the native eye. Her motivation is both tender and protective of her imaginary world, and her symbolic view of how her world looks into an alternate universe. She is set on creating both a photographic and graphic experience, that morphs and shapeshifts into a higher dimensional plane.

"My work carries my spirit, before it carries a message. My intuition plays a vital role in the direction I go and then I compartmentalise with what I prioritise. I represent different parts of my self including abstraction, curiosity, mythology, spirituality and introspection. Blackness is vital in my work because it is created by a black woman despite the medium or language it speaks, it is vital because proof of existence is rare in the black community, information is shared but isn’t sustained in ways that are knowledgeable to us right now. I express my yearning for answers and clarity in ways that make my blackness clear even when the work is abstract. My practice embodies subtlety in a form of texture and expression, a curious mix of ambiguity and curiosity. I experiment with different textures and mold that are formed from the earth."

Samuel Nnorom

Duncan Wylie

Driaan Claassen

Lulama Wolf

Duncan Wylie

Samuel Nnorom

Driaan Claassen

Lulama Wolf

Cookie preferences

Join our mailing list