EMERGENT ECOLOGIES

a solo exhibition by Keonah Nyembe

5 - 28 February 2026

The BNAP Foundation, in collaboration with WORLDART Gallery is thrilled to invite you to experience Emergent Ecologies, a captivating solo exhibition by one of South Africa's most exciting young artists, Keonah Nyembe.

Emergent Ecologies invites viewers into immersive environments defined by bold colour, intricate patterns, and rich symbolic imagery. Nyembe's work challenges us to reconsider our perceptions and imagine alternative ways of being in the world.

Emergent Ecologies by Keonah Nyembe, is an immersive solo exhibition that presents a profound, post-humanist exploration of the rapidly shifting boundaries between the natural and the artificial in the Anthropocene era. This new body of work, executed through large-scale prints, transcends simple representation, creating multi-sensory ecosystems that embody the very resilience and adaptability of nature.  

“In my studio, the material is not a passive medium but a co-creator. I initiate the process by deliberately relinquishing control over the substrate, freeing the inks to follow their own physical laws of flow and absorption. This is where the magic of New Materialism becomes a palpable reality. The ink, the paper, and the turpentine act as independent agents, creating unforeseen Emergent Ecologies. The large prints act as portals into a speculative reality where materials are allowed to assert their own agency, resulting in layered, textured, and sometimes unsettling visual fields. The aim is to challenge anthropocentric perspectives, blurring the line between the image and the viewer’s physical space to encourage a visceral reconsideration of the environment.”  

Emergent Ecologies invites the viewer to step into a world of complex beauty- one that acknowledges decay and human-induced change yet remains fundamentally rooted in the possibility of a new, tenacious life. 

ART WEEK SPECIAL EVENT | ARTIST WALKABOUT
Featured as part of the Investec Cape Town Art Fair Program. Experience an intimate guided walkabout led by the artist, Keonah Nyembe. Join us as we celebrate Cape Town’s premier art week with an in-depth look at the inspirations and concepts behind this new body of work.

Date: 19 February 2026
Time: 18:00
Location: WORLDART Gallery, 68 Long St.

Don't miss this opportunity to witness the bold artistic vision of Keonah Nyembe as she continues to shape the future of contemporary South African art.