A Re Bopeng

A Re Bopeng – Mpho Gorewang Solo Exhibition "a re" means "let us" — a common inclusive phrase in Tswana used to suggest group action "bopeng" is derived from the verb bopa, which means "to create" or "to mold."

A Re Bopeng, is a celebration of clay, care, and collective memory. In this solo exhibition, Mpho Gorewang presents a body of work that reclaims the dignity of labour through the tactile intelligence of ceramics. His handmade clay pieces, spanning cultural heritage and domestic utility, speak not only to ancestral continuity but to the radical joy of making.

In a world shaped by the legacy of industrial capitalism where labour has long been stripped of creativity, fragmented by rote repetition, and alienated from nature, Gorewang’s work offers a counter-narrative. His practice resists the dehumanising forces of mechanised production and instead embraces clay as a collaborator: responsive, fragile, strong, and wise. Each vessel is a dialogue between hand and earth, between tradition and innovation.

Craft theorist Glenn Adamson reminds us that materials like clay carry meaning and shape thought. Gorewang’s ceramics embody this material intelligence, revealing how knowledge lives in touch, rhythm, and ritual. His work draws from the cycles of the land and the collective spirit of African craft traditions, where making is both a technical and cultural act.

A Re Bopeng invites us to care more deeply about the things in our lives. It urges a return to craftsmanship inspired by nature, where labour is not toil but expression— where objects are infused with meaning, and making becomes a form of healing. In Gorewang’s hands, clay becomes a medium of resistance, remembrance, and renewal.

Date: 28 January 2026 to 20 March 2026
Time: 18:00
Venue: North-West University Main Gallery (Potchefstroom Campus), Potchefstroom