Open call project ︎

Art
After
Baby

Siviwe James
Ubuhle Ngaphaya Kwameva
2-26 February 2025
Victoria Yards, Lorentzville, Johannesburg

Phumelele Kunene
In My Element
2-29 March 2025
Victoria Yards, Lorentzville, Johannesburg

Ditiro Mashigo 
7.7.7.7 / X9 / ‘Ma Zith iingqondo
zethu, / Zimbonge uYehova; /
Kuba iinceba zakhe, / Zimi ngonaphakade
2-30 November 2023
Keyes Art Mile, Johannesburg 

Naledi Chai
inzalo
2-30 November 2023
Keyes Art Mile, Johannesburg

Art After Baby is a collaborative project, supported by the National Arts Council South Africa (NAC) Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme (PESP 4 and 5).

Art After Baby is a project by INCCA supporting artists who are mothers, parents, and/or have been impacted by any associated loss.

The project was first launched in 2023 via an open call, inviting visual artists juggling art-making with care-giving and/or impacted by loss. The successful candidates each received a living wage for two months, to spend as they please, as well as an artist fee to participate in a selling two-person exhibition of their work at Keyes Art Mile in Johannesburg in November 2023. In 2025, INCCA realised the second edition of the project at Victoria Yards in Johannesburg, this time, in addition to financial support, mentoring each artist through the process of producing solo exhibitions.

Both editions of Art After Baby were supported by the National Arts Council South Africa (NAC) Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme (PESP 4 and 5).

The overall aim of AAB is to confront a somewhat taboo subject, to find pathways for the accepted applicants to participate in an industry often still dominated by men and/or privilege, and to explore how art-making itself can be a cathartic salve for the many challenges of motherhood, and/or trauma and loss.

We hope to establish routes  for others in similar positions.

Through AAB we hope to establish routes and approaches for others in similar positions. We also hope to underscore how art-making and parenting can co-exist under the right circumstances and can allow for an important and cathartic synergy. This project is heavily influenced by the research and work of British writer Hettie Judah, who interviewed around 60 artist mothers about their experiences in 2021, resulting in a manifesto, and ultimately a book titled How Not to Exclude Artist Mothers (and other parents). It presents a solutions-based approach on the subject, looking at benchmarks all over the world. Ultimately, Judah suggests that what the art industry risks by not taking intersectional contexts into consideration is remaining more homogeneous, precluding “participation by all but the wealthy and carefree”.

In 2023, the two selected artists were Ditiro Mashigo and Naledi Chai. Writers Christa Dee and Nkosazana Hlalethwa were commissioned to write about each artist respectively. In addition, we invited artist and academic Dee Marco to conduct one of the workshops and subsequently presented Marco’s project The House of Complaints within the space. The exhibitions were produced and organised by INCCA co-founders Londi Modiko, Lara Koseff and Nthabiseng Mokoena, with assistance from Nthabiseng Onthatile Mofokeng.

In 2053, the two selected artists were Siviwe James and Phumelele Kunene. Artists Thulile Gamedze and Ditiro Mashigo were commissioned to write about each artist respectively. The exhibitions were produced and organised by INCCA co-founders Londi Modiko, Lara Koseff and Nthabiseng Mokoena, with assistance from Nthabiseng Onthatile Mofokeng.

Explore all the associated projects and text below.