Gallery Chosi, a new art space in Durban

In a move to enhance Durban's art scene, Zimkhitha Xwashu is opening Gallery Chosi in Morningside, providing a vibrant space for local artists to showcase their work and hone their skills.

Gallery Chosi opens in Morningside, Durban, on Thursday, offering artists a place to exhibit their work, as well as a space where they can upskill and network with like-minded individuals.

The exhibition 'The Visual Art of Creating Beyond the Apartheid Imagination' will mark the official opening of the gallery.

Xwashu, formerly from Butterworth in the Eastern Cape and now living in Durban, and has a passion for the arts, said unlike in Cape Town, there were not that many art spaces in Durban.

The 29-year-old studied business management and consumer behaviour at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in Cape Town and chose to pursue the arts and culture industry.

"Whilst in Cape Town I used to visit a number of art spaces. When I returned to Gqeberha I noticed the difference in the number of art spaces.

"During lockdown I began an art blog where I profiled local artists. I received great feedback from people who read the blog as well as artists who had never showcased their work," she said.

Xwashu in 2020 launched Gallery Chosi in Gqeberha, as a developmental, collaborative, and exhibition space with the Art and Conversations art project.

In 2022, she moved to Durban for an internship as a gallery assistant at the KwaZulu-Natal Society of Arts (KZNSA).

"Lots of artists used to come through for advice. They have the skills but need guidance. I decided to open the gallery to provide a space for up and coming artists and graduates to exhibit their artworks. People will also be able to buy art works.

"It is also a place where people can collaborate, network, upskill and receive guidance," she said.

She said the plan is to have a different exhibition every month.

The opening exhibition, 'The Visual Art of Creating Beyond the Apartheid Imagination', which runs until August 31, features 12 art pieces by three different artists.

It is mixed media photography, art using acrylic paint and art pieces made out of cow dung.

The gallery, in Millar Road, Morningside, is open from 9am to 4pm.

SUNDAY TRIBUNE