Homecoming brings many of the most significant pieces in the JAG collection back to the city where they belong, after nearly two years touring South Korea. Co-curated by Khwezi Gule, chief curator at JAG, and Dr Same Mdluli, Standard Bank curator and gallery manager – with assistance from Bamanye Ngale and Gcotyelwa Mashiqa – the exhibition features early European classical masters alongside seminal works by African artists. As Mdluli puts it: "This exhibition invites us to reconsider how historic collections can live meaningfully in the present."
The friction between the works on show, one tradition rooted in colonialism and the other actively working against that legacy, mirrors something true about Johannesburg itself: a city still wrestling its present from its past. And Gule and Mdluli are deliberate about using the occasion to shift complicated histories of colonial acquisition and institutional exclusion in the city, repositioning the collection as shared cultural inheritance rather than institutional property.
Of course, it's hard to ignore the wider context either – the ongoing controversies around the state of the JAG collection, and the open questions about its future. We have more thoughts on that here. Regardless of the contested issues, it's a treat to see the works being displayed and to have an opportunity to view some of the most significant and valuable pieces in the JAG collection.
In this sense, Homecoming is a compelling argument for the importance of the collection, as the works on display range from early-19th century European works and famed names such as Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, and Andy Warhol, to pioneering South African modernists and historic ceramics from sub-Saharan Africa.
The works on display for Homecoming are loosely grouped together according to certain themes, such as portraits, landscapes, death, and nudes, and while textual information around the different artworks and artists is sparse, the themes do provide interesting starting points for inquiry.
A few of our favourites from the exhibition include Antonio Mancini’s portrait of Lady Phillips, the founder of Johannesburg Art Gallery, with Mancini being one of the most celebrated portraitists of his era. Then, the surreal distortions of Francis Bacon in Study of a Portrait of a Man offer a stark juxtaposition to the heavy and detailed painting of Mancini. Here, it was also great to finally see the Picasso that caused such controversy when it was bought, and seeing it in person, it's hard to believe that it used up most of JAG's budget when it was purchased.
Other highlights include Paul Cézanne's The Bathers and Edgar Degas' Two Dancers, especially given that these works deal with imagery and themes that persisted in both these artists' careers. Cézanne's lithographs were highly influential for Picasso and Henri Matisse.
Two portraits by South African artists that stood out were Maggie Laubser's Portrait of Kalie and the ironic and powerful I'm Sorry Madam by George Pemba, a work completed in 1945 that speaks directly to the dehumanising power dynamics of domestic service and racial hierarchy. Another standout: Gladys Mgudlandlu's Three Men in Blue. Mgudlandlu was the first black woman to host a solo exhibition in South Africa, and is an artist whose aesthetic boldness does not get enough credit within South Africa’s art canon.
It is safe to say that you won’t be disappointed with the works on show at Homecoming, and it is a rare chance to see historic art of this calibre in the city. With commercial galleries dominating Johannesburg's art scene, there is plenty of opportunity to engage with the contemporary, but less so when it comes to more historic works. Here, exhibitions by the Joburg Contemporary Art Foundation as well as Strauss & Co's pre-auction exhibitions are some of the more consistent ways to do so. It is part of why there is such concern for the JAG collection, and Homecoming re-emphasises the collection's importance.
Public programming is planned throughout the run, so keep an eye on @standardbankarts for updates.
Details on programming, youth-focused initiatives, and the exhibition catalogue will be announced via @standardbankarts. Homecoming runs until Sat, Oct 31, 2026 at Standard Bank Gallery in Marshalltown. Admission is free.
