This is Nicholas Hlobo's first solo exhibition in the UK. Hlobo weaves together disparate materials including satin ribbon, leather and the inner tubes of car tyres. Anchored in dense Xhosa cultural references and his experiences of living in post-apartheid South Africa, his work is highly individual and seductively tactile. In this exhibition Hlobo intricately stitches together a massive organic form that appears to have invaded the gallery. This new commission, together with a series of works on paper, is richly layered with bodily references, sexual innuendo and Xhosa fable.
Tate Modern
Exhibition
Level 2 Gallery: Nicholas Hlobo
Tate Modern
Dates
9 December 2008 – 29 March 2009