« IF A PROTEA IS NOT A FLOWER, THEN WHAT IS IT? »

A PROTEA IS NOT A FLOWER, AN EXHIBITION BY LERATO SHADI AND ROBIN RHODE, RESPONDING TO THE LIVES AND WORKS OF GERARD SEKOTO, BESSIE HEAD, AND DON MATTERA. CURATED BY KHANYI MAWHAYI (@KHANYIMAWHAYI , THE EXHIBITION OPENED OCTOBER 16TH 2025 AND RUNS UNTIL 15 NOVEMBER 2026.

A PROTEA IS NOT A FLOWER IS A MULTIGENERATIONAL CONVERSATION BETWEEN SOUTH AFRICAN ARTISTS AND WRITERS WHOSE WORKS NAVIGATE THE COMPLEXITIES OF EXILE, IDENTITY, AND BELONGING. INSPIRED BY MATTERA’S POEM PROTEA..., THE EXHIBITION REFLECTS ON THE RESILIENCE OF THOSE WHO CREATE, LOVE, AND REMEMBER FROM AFAR. LIKE THE PROTEA, A PLANT THAT SURVIVES ACROSS CONTINENTS AND CLIMATES, THESE ARTISTS TRANSFORM DISPLACEMENT INTO CONNECTION AND HISTORY INTO DIALOGUE.

INSTALLATION IMAGES OF A PROTEA IS NOT A FLOWER. COURTESY OF ZEITZ MOCAA. PHOTOGRAPHS BY DILLON MARSH.