BAHATI SIMOENS
b.1992, Munanira, Burundi
바하티 시모엔스는 벨기에-콩고 출신의 아티스트로 현재 남아프리카의 요하네스버그에 거주하고 있습니다. 바하티는 1992년 부룬디의 무나니라에서 태어났으며, 2021년부터 비주얼 아티스트로서 전문적인 활동을 시작했습니다.
그녀는 자신의 작업을 흑인의 몸에 대한 러브레터라고 묘사합니다. '한낮의 태양 아래 펼쳐지는 몽상, 밝은 빛과 깊은 그림자가 조화롭게 공존하는' 느낌을 주는 시각 언어입니다. 개인적인 어린 시절의 기억과 일상 경험에서 강하게 영감을 받은 생동감 넘치는 인물화입니다. 바하티의 인물들은 화려한 부드러움과 따뜻한 태도를 통해 공간을 차지합니다. 자신의 정체성을 찾아가는 직관적인 자기 치유의 형태로 시작된 작업은 이제 자신의 관객들에게 거울을 비추는 듯한 느낌을 줍니다. 바하티는 자신만의 소속감이라는 기묘한 시선을 통해 흑인들이 자신이 알지 못했던 감정을 느낄 수 있도록 하는 것을 목표로 합니다.
바하티의 작품은 The New York Times, WePresent, ItsNiceThat, Metal Magazine, Inbtwn Magazine 등에 소개되었습니다. Selfridges, Nataal, Jacob Banks, Jack Davison/LooseJoints와의 협업도 진행했습니다.
Bahati Simoens is a Belgian-Congolese artist, currently based in Johannesburg (South Africa). Bahati was born in Munanira (Burundi, 1992) and started her professional career as a visual artist in 2021.
She describes her practise to be a love letter to the Black body. A visual language that feels like 'a daydream under the midday sun, where bright light and deep shadows coexist harmoniously'. Vibrant figurative paintings heavily inspired by personal childhood memories combined with everyday life experiences. Bahati’s figures take up space through a colourful softness and a warm demeanor.
What started as an intuitive form of self therapy, searching for a sense of home, now feels like holding up the mirror to her viewers. Through a whimsical lens of her own sense of belonging Bahati’s aim is to make Black people feel seen and leave them with a feeling they themselves didn’t know was missing within.
Bahati’s work has been featured on The New York Times, WePresent, ItsNiceThat, Metal Magazine and Inbtwn Magazine. As well as collaborations with Selfridges, Nataal, Jacob Banks and Jack Davison/LooseJoints.
WORKS
CV
EXHIBITIONS
2024
Sunset Market, Solo exhibition currently on view at BKhz (Johannesburg, SA)
CURA - circuito urbano de arte (art festival), mural invitation 417m2 building (Belo Horizonte, Brazil)
2023
The Halfway line, Solo exhibition presented by Botho Project Space (Cape Town, SA)
Ulwandle, Solo exhibition at Jac Forbes (Malibu, United States)
Intimate at 1-54 London, Presented by BKhz (Bahati Simoens, Talia Ramkilawan, Mercy, Mashudu Nevhutalu & Tatenda Chidora)
2022
Jasmine like Summer, Independent and entirely autonomous solo exhibition (Antwerp, Belgium)
GANG GANG at Investec Cape Town Art Fair, Presented by Botho Project Space (Bahati Simoens, Cinthia Sifa Mulanga & Muofhe Manavhela)
Botho Art Collective, First Artist led art fair - Nelson Makamo, Trevor Stuurman, Bahati Simoens, Cristina Martinez, Brandon Deener, Maya Seas, Mbali Dhlamini, Corey Pemberton, Ambrose Murray & Lebohang Kganye (Los Angeles, United States)
Rise, Group exhibition - Bahati Simoens, Virgil Abloh, Jean Michel Basquiat, Paa Joe, Edozie Anedu, Salassie & Mr. StarCity- at NBB Gallery (Berlin, Germany)
If not now, then when? Group exhibition at BKhz (Johannesburg, SA)
2021
Ndoimadzi, Group exhibition - Bahati Simoens, Imraan Christian, Lulama Wolf, Zandile Tshabalala, Frans Thoka & Katlego Tlabela -at Botho Project Space (Johannesburg, South Africa)
Charcoal Swans under the sun, Solo exhibition at La Causa Galeria (Madrid, Spain)
Go & Grow, Solo exhibition at Medium Tings (New York, United States)
Investec Cape Town Art Fair, Presented by Botho Project Space (South Africa)