The magnificent tapestry Jaime-Lee, Byron, Dustin, Faroll, Lynette (2024), measuring 588 x 673 cm, is made of rope, silver chains, beads, shells, cotton fabric, mohair and other materials. Adams is interested in how dance and movement can help strengthen human resilience and agency and he works with the subtle and often overlooked traces that human presence leaves in the world. His works explore how these imprints – from the almost invisible to the completely tangible – bear witness to experiences, relationships and cultural identity. This is clearly expressed in the enormous tapestry created from a print made in collaboration with the South African dance group Garage Dance Ensemble. The title of the work refers to the names of the dancers who helped create it.

The three hanging sculptures, Weerhoud I, Weerhoud II and Weerhoud III (2024), which ARoS has also acquired, bear the same title as the exhibition at ARoS. The pastel-coloured, cloud-like sculptures are woven together from metal and copper wire, glittering beads, precious stones, chains and other found objects. The works are inspired by the clouds of dust that arise when dancers perform the traditional South African dance Riel, stomping energetically on the dry earth with their feet.

“Igshaan Adams’ practice demonstrates how artistic expression can embody resilience, transforming personal and cultural narratives into striking woven forms that engage both the heart and the mind. His pieces draw on and reinvent textile traditions from around the world, blending craft techniques with ideas seen in modern and contemporary art. Each woven structure carries layers of history and meaning, creating objects that are both visually rich and connected to broader cultural narratives. Thanks to the generosity of the New Carlsberg Foundation, ARoS is now able to add these important works to our collection, giving future visitors the chance to experience Adams’ powerful explorations of resilience, identity, and connection,” says ARoS’ Museum Director Rebecca Matthews.

“By combining craftsmanship with spirituality and personal memory, Adams creates a space for reflection on identity and human existence. The works explore the traces left by apartheid's racial classification system on the South African population, as well as the limitations and prejudices the artist has encountered as a homosexual in a male-dominated society," says ARoS’ Chief Curator Stinna Toft.

The four acquired works by Igshaan Adams are part of the current exhibition Weerhoud and thus constitute a piece of museum history for ARoS. At the same time, the acquisition underpins ARoS' exhibition and acquisition strategy, which focuses on diversity and new, global voices.

About Igshaan Adams
Igshaan Adams was born in 1982 in the former racially segregated suburb of Bonteheuwel on the outskirts of Cape Town and grew up in a complex identity context under apartheid. Drawing on his own experiences, Adams explores the impact of trauma on the human psyche and the healing power of movement.

Adams has received international recognition as a new global voice and was awarded the prestigious Standard Bank Young Artist Award in 2018. His works are part of the collections of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, Tate, London, and the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, among others. His works have also been shown at the Venice Biennale in 2022 and the São Paulo Biennial in 2023.

The exhibition Weerhoud and the four works can be seen at ARoS until 10 August 2025. The exhibition will then travel to Mudam Luxembourg, after which the four works will become part of ARoS' collection and may be included in future exhibitions.

The acquisition of the works Jaime-Lee, Byron, Dustin, Faroll, Lynette (2024) and the three dust cloud installations, Weerhoud I, Weerhoud II and Weerhoud III (2024), has been made possible with generous support from the New Carlsberg Foundation.

Attached press photos can be downloaded via Dropbox and may be used freely when giving due credit.

For further information, please contact:
ARoS Press and Communication
presse@aros.dk
+45 61904883