We are thrilled to announce the official gallery opening of Under the Aegis, with a debut solo exhibition by Buqaqawuli Nobakada titled Sondela Nontombi - Because I Have Seen Your Future and I Think You Should See It Too.
Join us as we kick off Art Month in Cape Town with an unforgettable afternoon celebrating vision, storytelling, and artistic excellence.
Opening Date: 15.02.25
Show runs from: 15.02.25 - 11.04.25
Time: 13:00 - 18:00
Location: 17 Jamieson Street, Gardens, Cape Town.
Email us at info@undertheaegis.co for the catalogue.
Buqaqawuli Thamani Nobakada (b. 2000-) is an emerging contemporary mixed media artist born in the Western Cape and raised between Philippi township and a remote village in Lady Frere, Eastern Cape called Cumakala. Nobakada was first introduced to Fine Art in Johannesburg in the beginning of her adolescence and uses her academic background in architecture to create elaborate painting installations featuring materials that play into themes of black opulence and luxury, namely lace and various gemstones. Her primary medium is acrylic paint on hand prepared laced paper, often with the use of custom clay or gold jewellery. This is the medium through which much of the passion in her work is demonstrated; as she creates a delicate environment designed to affirm the beauty and gentleness with which she sees herself whilst simultaneously teaching the world how to see her, and anyone else who sees any part of themselves reflected back as they engage with the black female protagonists portrayed in Nobakada’s domestic moments of exaggerated abundance and intimacy.
Her work reflects the regal performances of femininity and beauty she finds herself surrounded by as she navigates tensions between traditional and modern expressions of beauty in a postcolonial world, and its relationship with the growing socioeconomic autonomy of women. Her elaborate figurative paintings of herself and the women around her display women in soft moments of non-sexual intimacy, this strategic self-disclosure allows black women to bear witness their own (and each other’s) “complex personhood” and to their rich interiority.
In Sondela Nontombi - Because I've Seen Your Future And I Think You Should See It Too, she reimagines Black hyper-femininity as a form of high art, a powerful tool for reclaiming agency and disrupting entrenched societal narratives. By drawing inspiration from self-adornment processes that transform Black women into living works of art, the series challenges the misconception that beautification practices are superficial. Instead, these acts of self-care and empowerment confront and dismantle patriarchal systems.
A recurring element in the exhibition is lace, which serves as a metaphor for beauty, femininity, and craftsmanship. Representing the delicate yet enduring strength of Black women, lace weaves together stories of resilience, artistry, and intergenerational connection.
Nobakada’s work boldly confronts the male gaze that has historically objectified and commodified Black women’s bodies. Through hyper-feminine aesthetics, she shifts the narrative toward one of communal empowerment, celebrating the beauty and strength inherent in these expressions. Her approach draws heavily on Audre Lorde’s concept of the erotic, framing self-connection, joy, and creative expression as acts of resistance to patriarchal control.
This series envisions a future where Black women are honoured as the artists and architects of their own narratives—free from the constraints of colonial and patriarchal frameworks. It invites audiences to celebrate Black hyper-femininity as an expression of identity, creativity, and liberation.
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