South African artist Reggie Khumalo is set for the second part of his motorcycle adventure after completing the first part which was Cape to Cairo. Now he will ride north of the Mediterranean Sea to his first solo Art Exhibition in Europe, Amsterdam in a bid to help disadvantaged children across Africa go to school.
In 2017, Khumalo took a motobike trek, that saw him visit 10 countries in 20 weeks, from South Africa to Kenya, passing through Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi and Tanzania, where he collaborated with local artists. He donated an substantial amount of the proceeds to various educational charities in Africa.
“My paintings are a platform for me to share my journey with the world. I would like my work to resonate with every individual, from emotions to the conceptualizing. My work talks about some of the things l experience and feel on my trips. The people l meet, the kindness and love l received. I talk about my love for Africa, l would like to bring pride in being African”, says Reggie Khumalo.
By travelling across African countries, collaborating with local artists Khumalo has been inspired to foster education as a means of uniting Africa. In each country basically, he did paintings that spoke about the beauty of Africa from his eyes. “I go there not to be influenced but to influence,” he adds.
The first part of his adventure supported institutions and individuals in South Africa, Mozambique, Malawi, and Ethiopia and with his paintings selling between R20 000 to R 100 000 thus art is used as a vehicle for social change.
Khumalo will also host a solo exhibition in Johannesburg on 20th of June 2019 at Con Hill. Since 2017 he has had one sold out the solo exhibition and two pops-ups in Johannesburg, one pop-up show in Nairobi and a sold-out show in Addis Ababa at the South African Embassy.
“It’s time we start being our own heroes, and I hope to influence a new way of thinking, or a mental revolution in Africa that says we can, we have, and we will. An African that is confident and proud and is capable,” he concludes.
