Premiere · Concluded
Los Angeles
3 June 2026
Honeypot L.A.
South Park · Downtown Los Angeles
Chapter I · Traveling Exhibition Program
The Weight
of Holding
Anchored by Thabiso Dakamela, in dialogue with Yokanna. The exhibition unfolds as a spatial progression rather than a survey. It operates through restraint.
Next
27 and 28 August 2026
Venue
Gallery Anderson Smith, Atlanta
Press & institutions · Request private access
Thabiso Dakamela, Dual Presence (detail)
The Exhibition · Chapter I
The Weight
of Holding
Structured as a paced exhibition rather than a survey, The Weight of Holding examines contemporary figuration as a site of interior life, psychological pressure, and collective memory.
"What does it cost to be seen fully, without performance, through paint rather than narrative?"
Anchor Artist
Thabiso Dakamela
In Dialogue
Yokanna
Chapter
I · Traveling
Format
Paced Presentation
The Program
Curatorial
framework
Africa Curated presents contemporary African artists across United States cities. Each chapter is anchored by one artist. The work is developed with the artist over months, then presented across a limited number of venues per year.
Works in each chapter are owned by the program outright. There is no consignment arrangement. Documentation, condition reporting, handling, and placement follow institutional standards. Founded in 2026 by Roslidah Okoth, Co-Founder and Curator, and Branislav Petrovic, Co-Founder.
Status
Chapter I is a traveling exhibition.
- Los Angeles
- 3 June 2026 · Honeypot L.A. · Concluded
- Atlanta
-
27 and 28 August 2026 · Gallery Anderson Smith · Next
- Thursday 27 August · Private viewing, by invitation
- Friday 28 August · Public viewing, RSVP required
- New York
- Fall 2026 · Venue forthcoming
- Houston, Dallas
- 2027 · In planning
Acquisition and RSVP inquiries: info@africacurated.com
Featured Artists
Anchor &
Dialogue
b. Zimbabwe · Based in Johannesburg
Thabiso Dakamela
Working across medium and large-scale formats, Dakamela builds compositions through layered application, controlled tonal relationships, and material density. His portraits function as psychological states rather than narrative scenes.
Kampala, Uganda
Yokanna
Artist in Dialogue, Chapter I
Known for materially driven figuration created through palette knife application and layered surfaces. His practice treats the surface as an archive, built and reworked until the figure becomes a record of pressure.
Curator's Statement
"The Weight of Holding unfolds as a spatial progression rather than a survey. The exhibition does not attempt breadth. It operates through restraint."
At its center is a precise inquiry: What does it cost to remain visible without performance? Contemporary figuration often negotiates visibility as spectacle. In this exhibition, the figure operates under pressure. Composure is not assumed. It is constructed.
The objective is not immediacy. It is permanence.
Program
Chapter I on Tour
The Weight of Holding is a traveling curatorial chapter. The framework, the works, and the sequence remain intact as the chapter moves through select United States cities.
Now Traveling
Aug 2026
Opens Next
Atlanta
27 and 28 August 2026
Gallery Anderson Smith
1401 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta
Reserve a PlaceThe Chapter Continues
New York · Fall 2026 · Houston and Dallas · 2027
Multimedia
Inside the Exhibition
Chapter I premiered at Honeypot L.A. on 3 June 2026. The public teaser opens with one work and one audio walkthrough. The full chapter, with twelve plates, the Yokanna threshold, full audio, and the closing reflection, is held for review.
Enter the Public TeaserPrivate Digital Access
The Full Chapter, Held for Review
Reserved for institutions, curators, press, partners, and serious collectors. Africa Curated reviews each request before granting access. Replies typically arrive within five business days.
Request Private AccessFrom the Premiere
Installation Views
Installation photography from the Los Angeles opening at Honeypot L.A. is reserved for institutions, curators, foundations, fair committees, press, and selected professional collaborators. Documentation is shared on request as part of the private chapter archive.
Photography by Greg Doherty
Press
Coverage of Chapter I
LA Weekly
"Africa Curated is not trying to create rooms people pass through. We are trying to create encounters people carry with them."
Michele Stueven, 10 June 2026
Africa Art News
"The exhibition's title, The Weight of Holding, reflects these concerns. Across the works on view, holding becomes both a physical and metaphorical act: holding memory, expectation, identity, and lived experience."
Winfred Mueni, 4 June 2026
art.africa
"Africa Curated launches inaugural exhibition in Los Angeles."
Glory Onyekwusi, 10 June 2026
Traveling Program
The Weight of Holding on Tour
Chapter I
Los Angeles
Honeypot L.A.
3 June 2026
Concluded
Chapter I
Atlanta
Gallery Anderson Smith
27 and 28 August 2026
RSVP
Chapter I
New York
Venue forthcoming
Fall 2026
Announced
Chapter II
Houston
Venue forthcoming
2027
In planning
Chapter II
Dallas
Venue forthcoming
2027
In planning
Chapter II carries an expanded curatorial frame, traveling in 2027. Artists to be announced. Institutional partnership inquiries: info@africacurated.com.
Private Viewing & Acquisition
Select works are available by private sale. For collectors seeking private access and placement, inquire directly with the program.
Collector Services