/A WORD OF ART was founded in 2009 by Ricky Lee Gordon as an artist-run project space celebrating Newbrow aesthetics and practices, with the intention of creating immersive experiences over white-wall gallery exhibits. Over the past four years we have supported a wide range of initiatives reflective of this new subculture, which blends contemporary fine art with lowbrow influences such as street art, graffiti, outsider and pop art.
/AWOA believes in connecting people through creative practices to help effect social change on a local, national and global scale. In addition to our exhibition space and project room, we run an international artist exchange that brings visual artists from all over the world to South Africa to share time, skills and ideas with local creatives and community members. Located beside /A SPACE, /A STUDIO provides a well stocked work environment for visiting artists as well as a multipurpose venue for artist talks, film screenings and similar activities. We also facilitate ongoing arts outreach activities in the communities of Woodstock, Langa and Khayelitsha; and have completed capsule projects in Swaziland, Transkei and Gambia.
/A WORD OF ART is committed to providing a platform and catalyst for art through its’ full time exhibition platform /A SPACE; facilitating collaboration through an international artists’ exchange, and initiating and managing local community mural art outreach.
