P laying pool is more than just a weekly way to unwind for artist Stephen Langa it also features prominently in his exhibition titled Inceptions of Black Serenity , which opens this weekend at David Krut Projects in Johannesburg.
Last year in May, Langas dad came to visit him from Limpopo. It was his old mans first visit to Johannesburg in 10 years and also his birthday, so Langa took him to play pool at his regular haunt in Maboneng, at the Curiosity Backpackers Hotel.
Thats when Langa decided to include people playing pool in his work as it reminded him of growing up in Mokopane in Limpopo and also beyond.
Pool it speaks about gathering, you know, a black cultural experience where people gather together, they talk stories around, theres humanity, especially in the township, he says, so its just explaining those township experiences, because I also grew up where my dad used to take me to those taverns when I was a kid.
I would stay there with them playing pool with his friends.
