Because we are – On humanness and mutual care

The “Because we are” exhibition engages with African ethical frameworks that position humanness as inherently relational. The exhibition foregrounds the principle that individual identity and flourishing are contingent upon collective responsibility and mutual care. Within this context, values such as empathy, generosity, and reciprocity are not peripheral but central to the constitution of humanity.

Tony Luza and Daniel Tladi articulate these concepts through distinct visual languages. Luza’s practice interrogates the material and symbolic dimensions of human connection, emphasising its fragility and resilience. Tladi’s work, conversely, situates care within quotidian acts, highlighting the social and cultural infrastructures that sustain communal life.

Together, their works construct a dialogic space that affirms interconnectedness as both an ethical imperative and an aesthetic concern.

In an era characterised by social fragmentation and the valorization of individualism within global capitalist systems, this exhibition asserts the urgency of relational ethics. “Because we are” invites viewers to reconsider care as a foundational principle for social cohesion and cultural continuity, positioning humanness as ashared, rather than isolated, condition.

Date: 28 January 2026 to 20 March 2026
Time: 18:00
Venue: NWU Gallery (North-West University, Building F16G, Hoffman Street, Potchefstroom