Lehmann Maupin is pleased to return to ADAA: The Art Show with Homecoming, a solo presentation of new works by artist Billie Zangewa. In her intricate silk collages, Zangewa references scenes and experiences from her everyday life, navigating motherhood and life in Johannesburg. While Zangewa’s recent works tackle themes like the human condition and the interconnectedness of living beings, these new works offer an intimate perspective on Zangewa’s daily domestic rituals. The artist’s participation in ADAA: The Art Show precedes Billie Zangewa: Field of Dreams, an upcoming traveling solo exhibition at the Frost Art Museum in Miami, open November 23, 2024–April 14, 2025.
Depicting “daily feminism,”—or, as Zangewa defines it, the often-overlooked labor traditionally undertaken by women under the patriarchy—lies at the root of Zangewa’s practice. Though these acts take place in both the public and private realms, they often remain hidden from society at large. For Zangewa, the drive to center “daily feminism” in her work arose from the desire to make this labor visible, as well as to question different means of feminist resistance, or more specifically, “how to resist in a way that is not antagonistic.” Across her practice, Zangewa frequently includes figurative portraits of herself or other women engaging in acts of self-care, such as taking a bath or sitting peacefully in a garden. For the artist, depicting these tranquil and solitary moments is a celebration of the ways that women care for themselves, and in turn for their communities.
Inspired by experiences of serenity and connection in her new home, the works in Homecoming are grounded in Zangewa’s immediate surroundings. In The Alchemist (2024), the artist illustrates herself at home in the kitchen, using a pestle and mortar. The title alludes to the healing properties of food and cooking; in particular, Zangewa highlights food as essential sustenance and the act of preparing a meal as a means of caretaking and gathering community. Additionally, Zangewa often uses her kitchen as her studio, imbuing The Alchemist with even greater significance. Here, Zangewa elevates the kitchen—a space often associated with domestic and gendered labor—illuminating its ability to serve a practical, creative, and connective purpose.
Zangewa’s new body of work also explores her colloquial rituals, walking the viewer through her daily life. The Little Things (2024) depicts Zangewa at the beginning of the day, sitting peacefully in the bathtub, while Splendour in the Plants (2024) shows the artist on her daily walk through a plot of aloe plants, which are indigenous to South Africa. Meanwhile, Bedtime Stories (2024) captures the end of a day, depicting Zangewa’s son Mika reading a book before bed. These works center the meditative habits Zangewa adopts to care for herself, as well as the importance of nurturing and passing along these rituals to others.
In the works on view in Homecoming, Zangewa illustrates the quiet power inherent in daily rituals of care, revealing a subtle depth and connective possibility in both their making and narrative content. By slowing down and methodically documenting these daily moments, Zangewa reminds us that “tomorrow is not promised,” and thus emphasizes the importance of caring for oneself and celebrating each fleeting moment of daily life. In this way, Zangewa’s contemplative silk collages encourage us to locate a sense of reverence in the quotidian.