Susurration: Faint Whispers, Deep Understanding at Uj Art Gallery

Susurration: Faint whispers, deep understanding - Venter's first solo exhibition takes place amid a twilight moment for the UJ Art Gallery as it enters at new phase and curatorial turn. This exhibition further demonstrates the Art Gallery's commitment to shaping the future through partnering with and supporting emerging, and mid-career artists.

Described by Venter as a way to share his strength through vulnerability, Susurration: Faint whispers, deep understanding is a culmination of Venter's last two years of study at UJ towards his MaVA. The exhibition which includes drawings and paintings, as well as book objects, is an exploration of palimpsest and self-dialogism in his own art. "It is a way to be quiet and listen for the whispers that are never heard." Palimpsest refers to the act of scraping or washing an artwork clean so that it can be rewritten or reused, but still bears traces of its earlier form beneath the surface.

"The works on exhibition attempt to construct palimpsest as a visual language to engage with memories of trauma. I've taken a multi modal approach to my artmaking with this exhibition; that is to say I have included fabric hangings, paintings, drawings and artist's books," says Venter of the exhibition. Venter describes his work as always having been personal, starting from what he knows and his position, before commenting on complex issues.

"When I started on this journey, I was dealing with a lot of unprocessed emotion related to trauma and had reached crisis point. Through reading, research and the eventual production of work I found a thread that I can follow to trace my way to possible resolution," explains Venter.

It is Venter's hope that Susurration: Faint whispers, deep understanding offers visitors to the exhibition a viable entry point into seeking their own catharsis through engaging in self-dialogism and palimpsesting.