Absa, in partnership with the William Humphreys Art Gallery, is proud to present Like the sky, I’ve been too quiet, a solo exhibition by South African artist Bulumko Mbete, winner of the 2023 Absa L’Atelier Gerard Sekoto Award. The exhibition opens to the public on 14 August 2025 and runs until 13 September 2025 and forms part of the 2025 Absa L’Atelier Pan-African Exhibition Series which includes solo exhibitions across South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria and Uganda.

“For over two decades, the Gerard Sekoto Award as part of Absa L’Atelier has empowered African artists to take their stories to the world by awarding winners a prestigious international residency. In partnership with the South African National Association for the Visual Arts (SANAVA), the French Embassy in South Africa and the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS), it is Absa’s privilege to support these journeys. What makes it even more meaningful is seeing past winners return to share their growth through local exhibitions,” says Dr Paul Bayliss, Senior Specialist and Curator of Art and Museum Collections at Absa.

Now in its 39th year, the Absa L’Atelier is one of Africa’s longest-running and most respected art development initiatives. Through this programme, Absa invests in the future of African art by providing mentorship, masterclasses, international residencies, and the rare opportunity for professional solo exhibitions in leading galleries across the continent.

Following its debut at Gallery MOMO in Johannesburg earlier this year, Like the sky, I’ve been too quiet now travels to Kimberley, bringing Mbete’s immersive body of work to new audiences. It reflects on memory, legacy and the quiet geographies that shape South African identity through sound, sculpture, and symbolic materiality.

Dr Bayliss adds:”These exhibitions are more than a celebration of visual brilliance. They are platforms for storytelling, cultural reflection and creative exchange. At Absa, we believe people are more than titles or roles. They carry dreams, passions and lived experiences that deserve to be seen and heard. That is why exhibitions like this are such a significant opportunity. They foster connection and allow us to share the stories that shape who we are.”

Like the sky, I’ve been too quiet speaks to the power of slow, intentional storytelling. The work includes terracotta tiles, naturally dyed textiles and a collaborative sound installation created with artist Kamil Hassim. Through layered mediums and meditative processes, Mbete explores land, political inheritance and the fragile act of remembrance.

“In 1997, my grandfather embarked on a road trip through the eastern and central parts of South Africa. Drawing from his journey, I contemplated how memories are passed down and how sound, texture, and gesture can be used to reconstruct stories that live between generations. This exhibition is my way of honouring what we inherit, what we forget, and what we choose to carry forward.,” says Mbete.

Four installations make up the body of work:

• Sojourning, a sound installation developed through conversations with her mother and aunt. Their recollections serve as fragments from which a past is reassembled.
• In Our Mother’s Gardens, inspired by the 2021 documentary of the same name, explores the tenderness and resilience of maternal relationships.
• Earthsong, Earth’s Time, a choreography with nature, considers what alchemy might emerge through inherited traditions of labour and ritual.
• Reciting Memory, a sculptural series that marks Mbete’s exploration of iconography and ceramic language. Earth, transformed by hand, renders memory tangible.

Mbete’s exhibition is a reminder that silence is not absence. It is a space where stories gather, waiting to be heard. In clay, in textile, in sound, she offers a gentle but firm insistence that every memory matters.

“We are honoured to host Bulumko Mbete’s work as part of the Absa L’Atelier Pan-African Series here in Kimberley,” says Chepape Makgato, Chief Curator at the William Humphreys Art Gallery.

“This aligns deeply with WHAG’s mission to support artistic excellence and foster cross-cultural exchange on the African continent. Mbete’s work—anchored in quiet resonance—echoes our vision of preserving heritage while embracing contemporary artistic expression. The handmade sculptures and dyed fabrics preserve traces of meditative gestures that speak to coexistence, memory, and the delicate act of leaving a mark while honouring what preceded us,” continues Makgato.

Exhibition Details
Title: Like the sky, I’ve been too quiet
Artist: Bulumko Mbete, 2023 Absa L’Atelier Gerard Sekoto Winner
Venue: William Humphreys Art Gallery, Kimberley
Dates: 14 August – 13 September 2025

Admission: Free

RSVP with Zaakirah on zaakirah@whag.co.za or Call +27 (0)53 831 1724

Header image credit: ABSA