Born in Cape Town and raised in Johannesburg, Robin Rhode's art uses the barest of means to comment on urban poverty, the politics of leisure and the commodification of youth cultures. He combines large-scale charcoal drawings with charming and sharp-witted performances, often acted out on the street. In his work, Rhode tries to interact with two-dimensional representations of everyday objects; he draws a candle and tries to blow it out; he sketches a bicycle and tries to ride it. Recently, he has moved towards more poetic abstract forms in paintings and drawings and has also begun to make sculpture. Rhode will also create site-specific works on Southbank Centre's site.
Text by Michele Robecchi, Stephanie Rosenthal, James Sey.
