Pyda Nyariri, Visual Literacy and Drawing in Context Lecturer at the Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography, opened her debut solo exhibition, Paivapo (There once was...), at the Association of Visual Arts Gallery (AVA) in Cape Town on 18 June 2026. The exhibition runs until 30 July.
Paivapo is a multi-sensory installation built around Pidgin, a fictional character who exists only as trace and echo: fragments of syntax, invented glyphs, and a body formed from clay, water, and cotton gauze. Rather than presenting language as fixed, the work treats it as a living, migrating force, inviting visitors to follow evidence rather than search for a single fixed meaning.
The installation was developed in collaboration with two of Nyariri's friends: original sound by composer Denise Onen, and fictional text by Rabia Abba Omar, The Academy's Discourse & Visual Studies Lecturer. Together, the visual, sonic, and textual elements build an experience the artist describes as a forensic trail, one that reaches the viewer's body before their mind has fully caught up.
At its core, the exhibition speaks to an experience many carry but rarely name: the act of speaking in a language you've had to invent for yourself. It's a theme that resonates well beyond the gallery walls, touching on migration, hybrid identity, and the quiet work of self-translation.
Exhibition Details
Paivapo (There once was...)
Association of Visual Arts Gallery (AVA), 35 Church Street, Cape Town
On view until 30 July 2026
Gallery hours: Monday–Friday, 10am–5pm | Saturday, 10am–1pm
