Berlin-based South African artist Robin Rhode (born 1976) is a major new talent on the international art scene. He has developed a growing reputation for brilliantly inventive performances, photographs and drawings. Rhode combines large-scale charcoal drawings with charming and sharp-witted performances, often acted out on the street. In his video animations, Rhode tries to interact with two-dimensional representations of everyday objects; he draws a candle and tries to blow it out; he paints a bicycle and tries to ride it. Born and raised in Johannesburg, Rhode’s do-it-yourself art comments on urban poverty, the politics of leisure and the commodification of youth cultures.
