Nzulu Yemfihlakalo: Cinga Samson’s Exhibition at White Cube Mason’s Yard

‘Nzulu Yemfihlakalo’ is a fresh collection of oil paintings by South African artist Cinga Samson, which is proudly on display at White Cube Mason’s Yard. Dreamlike large-scale tableaux and portraits draw from his environment and metaphysical concerns, prompting the viewer to confront the epistemological boundaries of our collective understanding.

The title of the show, Nzulu yemfihlakalo, is taken from an isiXhosa phrase that loosely translates to ‘the depth of mystery’ and is used to express devotion while also serving as a description of God. Samson’s work, which is hyperreal and has a hallucinogenic character, alludes to the union of material and metaphysical realms. The artist gives expression to the intangible and stimulates an encounter with the immense unknown through his paintings.