Resonance Of My Body – Bruce Bowale

As a project exhibition

In his debut solo exhibition, Resonance of My Body, Bruce Bowale invites the viewer to embark on a journey to ponder the realms of existence and coexistence of our nature as human beings. Although our individual existence may be experienced differently due to different socio-economic realities that we are born into which inadvertently shape our initial life experiences, there are moments where ruptures occur and our journeys coalesce through shared life experiences within the sociocultural paradigm such as going to an educational institution. Such experiences leave us enriched.

Through mixed media, Bowale has sought to bring these experiences to life, offering a glimpse of his own perspective with a particular focus on the family as a nucleus of our existence. To conceive the body of work comprising this exhibition he has drawn inspiration from his own family history through use of photographs, his upbringing and his community. During the production of the work, he found resonance in the book Poor Folk/s, a collection of short stories written by Tokelo Hlagala. This sparked a collaboration between the two creatives.

Sampling out the text of the short story For Whom The Bell Tolls Bowale masterfully interweaves the text of this short story into the surface of his drawings through a fusion of pencil, charcoal, soft pastels, ink and watercolours to create the body of work comprising this exhibition.

As a project exhibition Resonance Of My Body has been long coming. The glimpse of its possibilty germinated during the artist’s residency at the Pretoria Art Museum’s Kopanong Art Studio between 2021-2022. As part of its formal opening proceedings on 18 May 2024, the author Tokelo Hlagala will read an extract from the short story For Whom The Bell Tolls which permeates the surfaces of the body of work comprising this exhibition.

About the Story

I speak:

I’ve explained the exhibition being about a theme of learning.

Saying that “Repetition is the mother of Learning” the more and more you practice a particular thing the better you become good at it.

And that is why I thought it would be a great idea to collaborate what children do (in which they are the best example of repetition/the practical). And adults too as they learn, they are allowing themselves to make mistakes even when sometimes they don’t intend too.

But the repetition of life will always allow itself.

(SOCIALISM)

But where I am getting too:

The repetition of paragraphs repeating themselves it is almost like a practice or a course that happens twice that you do not get to understand instantly.

Symbolism/symbolic. (Socialism). Repetition.
And that fits very well with the society. (How)
the repetition of birth days, – Calendars (Months Repeat) memories that keep coming back – remembering – nostalgia.

Scenarios that happen similarly (like birthday) – resonance.

So therefore, the repetition can happen through many things e.g. learning at school.

——————————————————–

I want to speak about Growth.
I want to speak about Unity.

And when I identify these topics, I mean for my artworks to depict these motions and feelings.

It is much more of a ceremonial event. Showing joyful and happiness movement.

I’ve always wanted to be going through one Artwork at a time. To enjoy it, to find myself in control & not having to stress about so many artworks at the same time. I knew that it would give me order, it will make me pay attention to what I do. Each process one step at a time and to eliminate the stress and pressure of the outside world. To enjoy the artwork as well.

I’ve wanted to use my own “family” images as reference to find meaning within myself – like – what am I looking for. What sparks out my mind of curiosity to go out finding meaning within these images that I could use.

While also composing these works I really didn’t want to draw inspiration from far. Just simply what I’d love to write, draw or explore. I think that is part of being a socialist person.

02/12/2023 (Why use text)

One of the other reasons for me to use text:

It is known to have value when you find information from the source of reading.
Societal norms / notions that encourage a child to read books, and find it to be valuable information.
It is perceived to be two in one when a drawing is found with written books – what is the story; does the artwork speak about the text in the background ?

My work it is there to tell (a)/(my) story

(communication)

It is the reinterpretation about my personal life, thoughts, ideas, and it is also found through the mediums of others.
such as literatures through the books of Tokelo Hlagala
subject matters of using other peoples faces normally those that are close to me, or that I know.
It is about the society that I have seen through my eyes. Communications that I’ve held with others.
Images that I took or drew or found of myself and others in which I call my community, my society.

Deluxe catalogue

Summary Catalogue