RMB Latitudes Art Fair is fast becoming one of Johannesburg’s most exciting platforms for contemporary art, and this year it continues that momentum with the return of INDEX, its annual showcase for independent artists. Dedicated to highlighting creatives working outside of the traditional gallery system, INDEX creates a space where fresh voices and experimental practices can thrive.
Curated by celebrated artist Bonolo Kavula, this year’s special project is titled Invisible Thread. It brings together eight independent artists, each weaving their own narratives around identity, memory, materiality, and connection. Through media ranging from thread and textiles to sculpture, printmaking, and timber, Invisible Thread creates a dynamic conversation between emerging talents whose work is both deeply personal and collectively resonant.
Invisible Thread is an axis of proximity” says Kavula. “It’s about where our creative visions overlap, about mentorship, scaffolding, and finding ways to support each other through the journey.”
Drawing from her own experiences of navigating art fairs, Kavula worked hands-on with the artists, often across two cities, helping shape their presentations and preparing them for their first major fair appearances. The result is a platform that doesn’t just exhibit new work, it nurtures new careers.
RMB’s broader commitment To Art
RMB’s broader commitment to the artist is central to the ethos of INDEX. As Linda Kachingwe-Sisya, RMB’s Executive Head of Marketing and Communications: Africa and International, explains,
RMB’s purpose is to empower diverse talent to be exceptional together for all to thrive. Through platforms like RMB Latitudes, we create ecosystems where creativity, connection, and professional development go hand-in-hand.”-Linda Kachingwe-Sisya
Meet the Artists of Invisible Thread:
Yonela Doda (b.1998, Cape Town) – A mixed media artist whose cathartic use of collage and thread communicates deep emotional landscapes.
Thato Makatu (b.2000, Oslo) – A printmaker and emerging cultural producer whose work blends academic research with personal storytelling.
Tshepo Phokojoe (b.1995, Soweto) – A multidisciplinary creative whose thread and hessian sculptures challenge perceptions of structure and gravity.
Khanyi Mawhayi (b.1998, Cape Town) – An artist-curator exploring decolonial world-building through textured canvases.
Dineo Ponde (b.2001, Johannesburg) – A narrative artist who transforms writing into visual storytelling with ink and thread.
Unathi Mkonto (b.1982, Peddie) – An architect-turned-artist reimagining still life through African modernist forms in timber.
Tinyiko Makwakwa (b.1984, Johannesburg) – A textile artist fusing indigenous African science, storytelling, and natural material processes.
Bonolo Kavula (b.1992) – The curator herself, pushing the boundaries of print and material abstraction with Shweshwe fabric and thread.
More Than An Exhibition
INDEX: Invisible Thread is more than an exhibition, it’s a reflection of the shifting landscape of the art world, where independent voices are increasingly carving out their own spaces and audiences. RMB Latitudes is making sure that those voices are not only heard but celebrated.
