Simchowitz is pleased to present Tusevo Landu at our newest gallery space, Simchowitz Pasadena. Landu (b.1997) works across printmaking, painting, mixed media, charcoal and drawing. In his practice, the artist reflects on various subjects ranging from his own personal beliefs to broader ideas around post-colonialism, freedom, religion, politics, xenophobia, adaptation, injustice, class, immigration, police brutality and society as a whole.
In his paintings, Landu pays particular attention to how he is depicting Black bodies—African masks portray the enigmatic qualities of who he chooses to paint, and what their depictions might represent. The artist aims to restore a fullness to nothingness, a being to non-being—a continuation of the vacuity present in the construction, perception, and economy of reception of Black life.
The masks that Landu paints have different personalities and purposes in African culture—some masks are used for celebration, others for mourning—particular masks pay homage to the gods and others serve to connect to celestial bodies. He explores the complexities that inform the ways in which we live, think, speak and laugh. More broadly, Landu is interested in investigating identity as a theme, something that he has grappled with from a very young age. With his decision to mask the faces of some of his figures, Landu binds us to the radical unsettlement of contemporary Black life.
Tusevo Landu’s exhibition is presented in partnership with the Cape Town Art Residency, and will be on view through the end of December 2022. Simchowitz Pasadena is open by appointment—please email info@simchowitz.com.
Tusevo Landu was born in the DRC, and migrated to South Africa with his family at the age of nine. In 2018, he was introduced to printmaking at the Artists Proof Studio in downtown Johannesburg, where he studied and practiced printmaking. Landu attended the Cape Town Residency in 2022. The artist currently lives and work in Cape Town.