As September is setting in, and spring is coming to the African continent, the art world is also accelerating with new, exciting events worth attending. The Cape Town-based Nel Art Gallery is happy to join the recovery of the local art scene from winter slowness with an emotional solo exhibition by Ilené Bothma, titled Mirror Mirror. Here are the details about the upcoming exhibition, giving every visitor an opportunity to embrace the artist’s talent and creative approach on a deeper level.
About Ilené Bothma
Ilené Bothma is a Cape Town-based multidisciplinary artist working in painting, textile, sculpture, photography, and video mediums. Her main themes in art revolve around intimacy, family, the intricacies of the human condition, and the negative aspects of grief and loss experiences. The artist is also broadly known for her finest brushstroke technique, meticulously performed and polished at the verge of obsession. Ilené Bothma’s signature style is a ‘veiled’ self-portrait, which she has become widely known for in the South African and international art scenes.
Mirror Mirror, Ilené Bothma’s Autobiographical Exhibition at Nel Art Gallery
Ilené Bothma’s solo exhibition will open at Nel Art Gallery on September 4, 2025. Mirror Mirror is the artist’s brutally honest self-exploration following the traumatic experience of her divorce. It embraces the visual theme of water to reflect on Bothma’s challenging path of passage and transformation after the emotional rupture of a breakup.
To create a visually precise metaphor for her traumatic journey and recovery, Bothma hand-built a black ceramic armor suit as a symbol of female endurance and reconstruction. The photographic series that laid the foundation for Mirror Mirror was performed with the artist wearing that armor and submersing herself under water in a dual act of reconciliation and resilience. As a result, while the heavy armor threatens to drown its wearer by dragging her deeper underwater, it also helps visualize her struggle and the ultimate victory over her personal drama.
With these symbolic underwater transformations and struggles, Ilené Bothma re-emerges as a new self. One of the works featured in the exhibition also features a black oval mirror with a bubble-like surface, encased in a gold frame, which serves the purpose of visualizing the fractured self. The artist uses bubbles as an ephemeral yet persistent element that informs her narrative of fragility and recovery. Overall, Mirror Mirror produces an unforgettable impression as a deeply personal story.