Southern Guild Made a Bold Statement at FOG Design+Art Fair 2025
In what marked an exciting milestone for African art on the global stage, Southern Guild made its debut at the prestigious FOG Design+Art Fair in San Francisco, showcasing a rich selection of contemporary art and collectible design from leading African artists. From January 23-26, 2025, booth 306 at Fort Mason Pier 2 and Pier 3 transformed into a dynamic space celebrating the diverse creativity emerging from the African continent.
Southern Guild, based in Cape Town with a second location in Los Angeles, was the first and only gallery from Africa to participate in FOG. This debut underscored the gallery’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of representation and inclusion in the international art scene, furthering the visibility of Africa's creative voices in global arts movements.
A Powerful Showcase of African Art and Design
At FOG, Southern Guild’s presentation included a striking collection of work by some of Africa's most innovative and thought-provoking artists. Among the highlights was a selection of seven photographic self-portraits by South African visual activist Zanele Muholi. These portraits, part of their seminal Somnyama Ngonyama series, continue to push the boundaries of identity, gender, and visibility, while challenging Western notions of portraiture and representation.
Muholi’s Somnyama Ngonyama was an ongoing exploration of Black womanhood, non-binary bodies, and the complexities of visibility through the medium of self-portraiture. Through their powerful, iconoclastic images, Muholi challenged the near invisibility of Black bodies in art history. The photographs, which feature a range of compelling poses and creative uses of objects such as swimming goggles and wooden pegs, were as much about self-expression as they were about defiance in the face of erasure.
In addition to Muholi’s captivating work, the fair also presented a piece by Cheick Diallo, a Malian designer known for his pioneering use of recycled metal in sculptural design. Diallo’s seating works, crafted from salvaged steel, blend minimalism and innovation, creating bold, angular forms that spoke to both the sustainable reimagining of materials and the strength of African craftsmanship. This marked the first time Diallo’s work was shown in the United States, with a major solo exhibition, Taama, set to open in Los Angeles in February 2025.
A Bold Selection of Sculptural and Painted Works
The fair also presented the dynamic works of South African artists Mmangaliso Nzuza and Manyaku Mashilo. Nzuza’s large-scale figurative oil paintings continued his exploration of allegorical themes, using texture and composition to convey the weight of ritual, time, and care. His works depicted figures within symbolic landscapes that expressed the ritualistic and nurturing aspects of life, with each figure evoking a sculptural dignity that highlighted the body’s potential as a site for both artistic composition and cultural inquiry.
Mashilo’s work, displayed as an arch-shaped, mixed-media painting, opened a portal into her expansive, imagined world. Her fluid, luminous figures explored African myth, folklore, and ritual, creating a space free from the constraints of time and place. Mashilo’s forthcoming solo exhibition The Laying of Hands will open at Southern Guild Los Angeles in February 2025, marking another exciting chapter in her ongoing exploration of cultural and personal narratives.
Ceramic and Sculptural Masterpieces
In addition to painting and photography, the fair featured remarkable ceramic and bronze sculptures by South African artist Zizipho Poswa. Poswa’s works elevated the daily labor of South African women through abstract depictions of the maternal bond. Her hand-built ceramic sculpture uNa’kaMzingisi (Mzingisi’s Mother), first shown at the Joburg Contemporary Art Foundation’s Ecospheres exhibition in 2024, honored the generational strength of women and the deep matrilineal connections within her community. Meanwhile, Mam’uNoSayini, a bronze piece from Poswa’s 2023 solo exhibition iiNtsika zeSizwe (Pillars of the Nation) in New York, portrayed a woman carrying firewood, symbolizing the vital communal role of women in rural South Africa.
The fair also featured Chuma Maweni’s functional earthenware seating, celebrated for its craftsmanship and timeless elegance. Maweni’s work, which incorporates influences from African culture and ceramic traditions, was exhibited alongside Zizipho Poswa and Zanele Muholi in the Museum of the African Diaspora’s Liberatory Living exhibition, on view until March 2025.
Other Notable Works and Exhibitions
Alongside Poswa’s sculptures, the fair presented a remarkable chemigram by Alex Hedison, a Los Angeles-based artist who explored camera-less photography techniques. Her abstract work, created through a chemical interaction on light-sensitive paper, was an example of her unique process of experimentation and creativity. Hedison’s work was recently recognized as one of the top seven pieces at Untitled Art 2024, highlighting her innovative approach to image-making.
Nigerian artist Ayotunde Ojo’s deeply intimate oil, acrylic, and charcoal paintings also featured in the presentation. Ojo’s works, which captured moments of everyday life and domestic care, provided a tender insight into the lives of his subjects, imbuing his works with a sense of memory, light, and perception. Ojo’s solo exhibition These Four Walls is currently on view at Southern Guild Cape Town until March 2025.
A Continuing Legacy of African Art at FOG
Southern Guild’s debut at FOG Design+Art Fair 2025 not only showcased the diverse range of contemporary African art and design but also emphasized the gallery’s ongoing mission to bring African voices into the international spotlight. As the only South African gallery with a permanent space in the US, Southern Guild continues to play a crucial role in amplifying the contributions of African artists to the global cultural dialogue.
With major upcoming exhibitions in Los Angeles, New York, and São Paulo, Southern Guild remains at the forefront of a growing movement that seeks to elevate African contemporary art on the world stage.