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Olwethu De Vos in Collaboration with the City of Joburg Presents “Matured” Solo Exhibition

Olwethu De Vos, in collaboration with the City of Johannesburg, Arts, Culture and Heritage unit, presents Matured, a solo exhibition running from August 28 to September 8, 2025. The exhibition will be held at Alive Art, located at 24 Archimedes Street, Wendywood, Kramerville, Sandton. The project is a drawing- led exploration of the evolving bodies of women over 30.

About the Exhibition

Matured is a drawing-led project that honours the natural changes women’s bodies undergo over time: gestures, skin, weight, stillness, and movement. The project reflects women in various stages of life, including some who are mothers, some who are tired, some who are tall, and others living with disabilities. It invites a deeper reflection on aging, moving beyond superficial perceptions. The exhibition does not aim to portray aging as simply beautiful or empowered, but rather accepts it as an inevitable, natural, and ongoing process that is a fundamental part of life and human evolution.Central to the work is a collection of phrases drawn directly from real conversations. These words and expressions, often used to describe aging women’s bodies, include phrases like “past her prime,” “sagging,” “used goods,” and “still pretty for her age”. These phrases highlight society’s harsh and limiting views on aging. The project confronts the cultural discomfort with aging bodies, especially women’s, and resists the pressures to freeze, erase, or deny this process. Instead, it embraces the truth of aging, highlighting the dignity and reality of evolving bodies.

A Space for Witnessing

Matured speaks back to the fear many young women have of aging, which often stems from internalizing messages that change means loss and that maturity leads to invisibility. The exhibition offers no illusions or corrections, nor does it seek to “fix” aging or cover it with positivity slogans. It asks not just to be seen, but to be witnessed. The exhibition unfolds slowly, “drawing by drawing, word by word, voice by voice,” creating a space for women to be recognized as they truly are: continuing, changing, living. It is a space for honest reflection, vulnerability, and a reimagining of what it means to grow older without shame or denial.

About Arts Alive

The City of Johannesburg’s Arts Alive festival, known as “The Assemblage of Artistic Offerings,” is set to showcase a vibrant array of arts and culture events throughout July 2025 into June 2026. The festival, supported by the City of Johannesburg, will feature visual arts, educational workshops, music, theatre, poetry, and dance. A key focus is on inclusivity and community engagement, with the aim of fostering economic activity, spiritual enrichment, and social cohesion. Over the years, Arts Alive has fostered strong collaborations with various bodies within the creative and cultural industries, ensuring streamlined efforts, reduced duplication, and effective use of resources to achieve maximum impact. This year’s programme continues to build on that legacy, with an emphasis on inclusivity and community engagement.

Exhibition Details

Exhibition: Matured, a solo exhibition by Olwethu De VosDates: August 28 – September 8, 2025Venue: Alive Art, 24 Archimedes Street, Wendywood, Kramerville, Sandton, 2146

Public Program:

Table Talk: Saturday, September 6, 2025Time: 15:00Venue: Alive Art, 24 Archimedes Street, Wendywood, Kramerville, Sandton, 2146

For media enquiries, please contact:Olwethu De Vosolwethudevos@gmail.com