Goodman Gallery is pleased to present a solo exhibition of new work by Cape Town-based artist Micha Serraf. Marking a significant milestone, this is the first time a body of Serraf’s tapestries will be exhibited on the African continent.
If we do not dream, we cannot rest precedes Serraf’s upcoming solo exhibition at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in September 2025. It follows his participation in Marvellous Realism—the first and largest exhibition of African photography in Asia—at Fotografiska Shanghai, and his 2023 residency at Gasworks in London.
Micha Serraf’s tapestries emerge from his sculptural and drawing practices. His clay sculptures are created in complete darkness, using blackout curtains to eliminate light.
Guided by intention and a sense of ancestral or spiritual form, darkness becomes a critical element in his process—rooted in his experiences growing up in Zimbabwe and later moving to South Africa, both countries shaped by persistent power supply challenges.
He builds his figurative sculptures from the base upwards, allowing his eyes to slowly adjust to the limited light. This process results in bases that are rough and indistinct, gradually transitioning into more refined, recognisable forms toward the shoulders and head. The sketches of these sculptures are then incorporated into tapestry works, placed within landscapes drawn from memory, nostalgia, and imagination—depicting figures navigating or contemplating their surroundings.
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