Overview

Dubbed 'The Gallery of the People', The Melrose Gallery is a leading Pan African Contemporary space located in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Passionate about African culture and traditions, the gallery has become a home in which artists, collectors and the public gather as a community to present and celebrate their stories, lives and creative practices in contemporary ways. Firmly grounded in our African identity, and mindful of the value and importance of indigenous knowledge systems and African spirituality, we sit comfortably as part of the global community realizing the significant contribution that our artists and programme offers to the future. We see ourselves as a vessel that supports talented artists by providing a platform to tell their stories, freely express their opinions and to engage with audiences. For these reasons our space is dynamic, constantly adapting and challenging preconceived ideas and limitations to creative practice. Our spaces often pulse with the energy of dance, poetry and song mirroring the multi-disciplinarity that characterises African Art, as well as lively dialogues around issues that are pertinent and sometimes not so easy to hear. Our stable boasts iconic names of the likes of Dr Esther Mahlangu, Mam Noria Mabasa, Dr Willie Bester and Pitika Ntuli amongst others. These globally celebrated stalwarts provide a stable foundation for an exciting group of young guards who are swiftly rising from the African Continent. The Melrose Gallery hosts a programme of solo and group exhibitions each year with well attended openings that are a highlight of the South African arts calendar. We participate in respected art fairs, support many of our artists in terms of biennales and conceptualize and regularly implement important non-commercial exhibitions in association with museums and national galleries. We pride ourselves in providing a warm and yet professional service to our large, loyal global collector's base.