THERE ARE MANY WAYS OF SEEING
The artist Bongo Mei works under two characters; one as Bongo Mei whose influence comes from African mythology and creates contemporary African mythological art. His 8-year independent research about African mythology informs his contemporary interpretations.
The other character is Bhele Gallery who investigates and experiments with the concept of aestheticism. His work interrogates the academic perception of aestheticism, with a thorough connection to his investigation about what aestheticism is, where he argues that, if the same object is in different environments, it can receive miscellaneous responses. Therefore, such a situation allows for critical observation, culminating in the fact that there are many ways of seeing.
Currently his body of work is titled, Post Art: Vulgarity as a Process of Aestheticism. The body of work explores the ambiguity of meaning and aestheticism, while at the same time defining the genre of his work as Post Art. He defines Post Art as an alternative method of creating and exhibiting Art, informed by transdisciplinary research. The term he emphasizes that it is descriptive of a move from traditional methods of maintaining a singular perception, regarding the aesthetics of what Art is. He further draws attention to the perception that, excellence and expertise is definable through the appreciation of refinement and consequently, in the information age it should be almost compulsory to research art themes with a connection to other disciplines of influence and information.
‘Nokufa, Sifo, Buthikazi/ Death, Disease and Witchcraft’ / Digital Print on Archival Paper / 95cm x 64cm / Bongo Mei/ 2023/ $527
‘ uMoya ka Bokwe’ / Mixed Media on Paper/ 90cm x 50cm / Bongo Mei / 2023/$450_ SOLD
‘Aesthetic 1’ /Digital Print on Archival Paper / 90cm x 60cm / Bongo Mei /2023/$400
‘Aesthetic 1‘ / Close Up
‘uMoya ka Ntsikana/ Ntsikana’s Spirit’/Digital Print on Archival Paper /90cm x 60cm/ Bongo Mei /$400
‘Arsethetic’ / Digital Print on Archival Paper/ Size on request/BHELE GALLERY/2023/$800
‘Arsethetic’/ Close Up
‘Ka Mhle, Shaman’s Daughter’ / Digital Print on Archival Paper/ 160cm x 120cm/ Bhele Gallery / 2023/ $700
‘Ka Mhle, Shaman’s Daughter‘ / Close Up
‘Arsethetic Flower‘ / Digital Print on Archival Paper/ Size on request/ BHELE GALLERY /$1200
‘Arsethetic Flower‘/ Close Up
Ethna Frankenfeld’s Spirit / Digital Print on Archival Paper / 90cm x 60cm / Bongo Mei /2023/$400
Ntsikana’s Cow Spirit/Digital Print on Archival Paper/90cm X 60cm/ Bongo Mei/ $500
ALL Artworks were first created as mixed media on paper, photographs were taken and then all the originals were purposefully destroyed to create new originals. Responding to the digital age, the new originals evolved into digital prints on archival paper, inspired by the conceptual view that an image is validated by perception.
Bhele Gallery 