The Botswana-based curatorial platform, Ora Loapi, made a landmark return to FNB Art Joburg 2025 with a groundbreaking presentation of South African painter Lerato Lodi and Zimbabwean sculptor Kudzanai Katerere — affirming its growing influence in Southern Africa’s contemporary art landscape
GAZETTE REPORTER
For the fifth consecutive year, Ora Loapi has taken its place at FNB Art Joburg, cementing its reputation as one of Southern Africa’s leading curatorial voices.
Following its acclaimed showcase at the Investec Cape Town Art Fair earlier this year and the successful RMB Botswana–South Africa curatorial partnership, the platform has once again brought Botswana’s cultural imagination to an international stage.
“Our presentation at FNB Art Joburg is an affirmation that art, like history, exceeds confinement — it moves across generations, geographies, and disciplines,” said founder and director, Lerato Motshwarakgole, in a statement.
A curatorial statement
Anchored in the refusal of colonial borders, Ora Loapi’s 2025 presentation celebrates the continuities of kinship, migration and memory that shape Southern Africa.
By pairing two distinct yet interconnected practices, the exhibition reframed shared histories and amplified the region’s collective creativity.
“This return to FNB Art Joburg is not just a milestone — it is a reaffirmation of our belief that Southern Africa, and Botswana in particular, stands at the centre of a global story,” Motshwarakgole noted.
The artists
Lerato Lodi’s canvases – which are layered with symbolism and pulsing colour – honour ancestral presence while foregrounding the beauty of Black everyday life.
Her practice insists on tenderness as resistance, storytelling as preservation, and imagination as a bridge across time.
Kudzanai Katerere, one of Zimbabwe’s renowned 3rd Generation sculptors, works in serpentine stone to reveal the spirit embedded within each piece.
His practice honours Shona traditions while shaping new vocabularies of freedom, aligning him with the legacies of great masters such as Nicholas Mukomberanwa and Joram Mariga.
A growing cultural footprint
Ora Loapi’s return to FNB Art Joburg builds on a year of significant projects, from its celebrated showing at Investec Cape Town Art Fair to its curatorial leadership of the RMB Botswana–South Africa cross-border collaboration.
The platform’s expanding footprint underscores its role as both a cultural catalyst and a bridge between regional institutions, artists and audiences.
Founded by curator and cultural entrepreneur Lerato Motshwarakgole, Ora Loapi has become a symbol of Botswana’s growing cultural presence on the world stage.
Positioning Botswana globally
By championing narratives that transcend borders while nurturing regional collaborations, the platform continues to position Botswana and Southern Africa within the global imagination of contemporary art.
The 18th edition of FNB Art Joburg ran from 5 to 7 September 2025 at the Sandton Convention Centre, with Ora Loapi’s booth drawing wide attention for its layered storytelling and groundbreaking presentation.