Globally acclaimed author, playwright and visual artist, Zakes Mda, gave Springs residents an exclusive first look at his latest exhibition, Blessed by the Bees, on June 20.

The exhibition offers visitors an intimate look into Mda’s world. It was co-curated by Chepape Mokgato and Thabo Sekoailia.

Their curatorial statement explained how the title draws inspiration from his longstanding involvement in beekeeping in the Eastern Cape.

“Here, the bee becomes both a metaphor and method, symbolising labour, community, discipline and the delicate balance between creation and vulnerability,” Mokgato said.

The curators also highlighted Mda’s refusal to be confined to a single creative discipline. As a scholar, novelist, playwright, composer and visual artist, his work challenges traditional artistic boundaries and demonstrates how creativity can thrive through interconnected forms of expression.
Mda said beekeeping is a part of his community development project.

“In the tradition of my people, bees have ancestral significance. I discovered that the mountain where I keep my bees, my grandfather used to do the same almost 70 years ago, so I come from a lineage of beekeepers,” he said.

The artwork includes self-portraits, giving the exhibition an autobiographical feel by positioning Mda as both a creator and a subject.

“Much like his storytelling, the compositions are vivid, textured, and immersive. Each frame operates as a narrative portal, inviting the viewer into a world where visual and literary languages converge.

“Subtle insertions of bees here and hives there function as both motif and signal, suggesting an impending sensory encounter, a “sting” that is as aesthetic as it is intellectual,” Sekoaila said.

His artistic work reflects the diverse landscapes and cultures that have shaped his life from Johannesburg, the Eastern Cape, Lesotho and Appalachia in the United States.

He works in mixed media, combining acrylic and oil paints with fabric, newsprint and found objects to create art that explores domestic life, gender relations, labour and social healing through dance and music.

During the walkabout, attendees had the chance not only to admire the artwork but also to ask Mda questions. He spoke in detail about every art piece.

Mda said he was happy to share his work with the Springs community before it reaches the commercial space.

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