Backyard Gallery - Kagiso

How people develop deep feelings for a place or strongly connect with a community where they are in contact with the creative environment from other people, is an eternal puzzle - what is the “soul” of a place that continually call upon our nostalgia?

Kgosi nostalgically describes the years of his youth spent in this poor yet cosy, four roomed house, raised by his now deceased parents in the presence of grandparents as “what makes me love my hood”.

Together with a team of filmmakers, we conducted workshops at this gallery located a mere 30 kilometres from Johannesburg, and having never been there before I had no idea what to expect.  

It was a smaller gallery than I thought it would be, but it didn't matter when I took a look at the pieces that were on display, and the fact that this gallery serves some of the best food in the West Rand.

Kgosi Khumalo’s edgy and mostly very surreal paintings that intrigued the eye filled the walls, making one try to uncover why the artist had put the images together in such a way at such a space.

It is not only his works that occupy the walls of this gallery though; there are periodic exhibitions which included Tolo Pule’s Photographic Exhibition, Sipho Howard’s paintings and a pool of other local untapped talent.

The constant struggle for access to exhibition space so often experienced by black artists is what compelled Kgosi to re-innovate his childhood home into a private space that caters for art and cultural activities of the Kagiso community.

After stints of cosmopolitan life in cities like Johannesburg, and forays with international art in Berlin among other cities, Kgosi returned home to the dusty township of Kagiso.

His experience gained through artists residencies and exhibitions platforms acquired in well poised art markets, inspired the artist to device methods of giving back to the people who inspired his talents.

And this paying it forward type of philanthropy has seen his Backyard Gallery make waves in the cultural and entertainment circle in the West Rand.

But of late, the Backyard Gallery has become a space which allows the interaction of various groups having different socio-economic characteristics and cultural preferences, a nexus of black contemporary minds intermingling; a home for the dissident and culturally emancipated youth of the West Rand.

You have house music lovers flaunting style while dining on African Cuisine, a group of contemporary theatre practitioners producing provocative installations, while a variety of artists’ works hang on the walls.

A sense of personalization of space is shared by everyone who interacts with its atmosphere; I recall this feeling when Script to Screen conducted workshops at this exquisite venue. 

Well-catered and renovated after a long closure, it has been characterised with a variety of art activities, festivals and carnivals conducted in the township setting attracting a great number of people to Kagiso.

The gallery with its spatially skewed interiors and wooden furnishing could seem kitch at first glance, best of all, is the realization that there are boarding quarters at the back of the main house.

But recently hosted here are a Solo Exhibition by the renowned Lefifi Tladi, Thabo Muleleki, Velaphi Mzimba, Ezrom Legae and Hagrieves Ntukwane to name a few.

Having utilised the venue for conferences, workshops and special events, regarding this grand venture Kgosi says “the Backyard Gallery is up and running.”

Backyard Art Gallery is open from Monday to Sunday, 9am - 6pm.