Young/Unframed 2025 - Bag Factory

Young/Unframed is aimed at identifying and creating opportunities for emerging talent in South Africa’s creative industry.

The Bag Factory has invited emerging artists and aspiring curators to work towards a solo presentation under the Young/Unframed exhibition programme.

Three artists – while collaborating with three emerging curators – receive financial and curatorial support, studio space to experiment and present their new and/or site-specific work using the Bag Factory’s gallery.

Artist support includes uratorial, pastoral support from the Bag Factory team, the guest curator, and includes financial support covering the costs of a physical exhibition at the Bag Factory showcased on our website.

Curators on the other hand are supported by gaining hands-on practical experience and mentorship from the Bag Factory team to realise the exhibition.

The Young/Unframed Project is supported by the National Arts Council.

Yonela Makoba, a transdisciplinary artist between Nqamakwe and Cape Town, explores memory, indigenous knowledge systems, and the body through photography, performance, installation, and printmaking.

Their project, iTi: ritual studies, reimagines Xhosa rituals honouring matriarchal lineages, bridging past and present for collective healing. Their work is held in collections at the Iziko National Museum and UCT.

Mpendulo Nkabinde, a Johannesburg-based visual artist, engages with printmaking, sculpture, and drawing to critically examine systemic and epistemic violence, focusing on human-land-language relationships.

His work has been shown in group exhibitions at Fox Wood House, the Pretoria Association of Art, and UJ FADA.

Daneel Thumbiran, a South African Indian artist, draws deeply from Hinduism, his cultural heritage, and his unique perception of identity. With an Honours in Visual Art from UJ, his work bridges personal beliefs with everyday experiences, such as his exploration of the 108 names of Krishna, connecting them to South African individuals.

Daneel challenges dominant narratives through his art, carving space for South African Indian creatives and fostering conversations on identity, culture, and belonging.

Tristan Baia, a queer artist, curator, researcher, and zinester, investigates gender, craft, indie print media, and queerness in the South African arts ecosystem.

With a Master’s in Contemporary Curatorial Practice from Wits, their work amplifies underrepresented narratives through a multidisciplinary approach

Karabelo Temeki, a curator, creative researcher, and visual anthropologist from Qwa Qwa, explores memory, culture, and Black histories through art and anthropology. He was the curator’s assistant for Esther Mahlangu: A Retrospective, contributing to the landmark exhibition celebrating the iconic artist’s legacy.

Abongile Matintela, a curator and coordinator from Butterworth, Eastern Cape, merges storytelling and expression to challenge, communicate, and inspire through art.

With a background in Art History and Political Sciences from UKZN, their curatorial practice explores gender, race, and sexuality within a broader human context. Abo has curated multiple exhibitions, both digital and physical, pushing creative boundaries and amplifying marginalised voices.