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Events · 21 Oct 2025

Metamorphosis: A Transformative Duo Exhibition Opens November 2025

Metamorphosis: A Transformative Duo Exhibition Opens November 2025

The highly anticipated Metamorphosis Exhibition November 2025 opening at Candice Berman Gallery in 8 November, brings together two distinctive South African artists in an exploration of transformation.

Ingrid Uys and Elli Wahl present their compelling artistic dialogue between light and dark, identity and change, in what promises to be one of Johannesburg’s most thought-provoking exhibitions of the year.

Metamorphosis Exhibition: Exploring Light and Shadow Through Art

Transformation lies at the heart of this exhibition, not as a single act, but as an unfolding continuum. Both artists approach metamorphosis through their unique creative lenses, while also examining the shifting interplay between becoming and being, between the known and the not-yet-formed.

Ingrid Uys: Light as Subject and Material

Uys approaches metamorphosis through light, treating it both as subject and as material. Working in oil on perspex, paper, and canvas, her paintings hold space for reflection and shadow, transparency and opacity. Each surface becomes an embodiment of identity in flux, while also serving as a meditation on the feminine experience.

Inspired by the fragility of wings as well as the stained glass of sacred spaces, she reimagines the feminine self as luminous and resilient. Moths and butterflies recur as emblems of endurance and transformation, their wings carrying the layered stories of womanhood: mother, artist, self. These creatures of light drawn through darkness represent not only personal transformation but also collective feminine resilience.

Black and white portrait of artist Ingrid Uys, smiling for the camera with long hair and a dark top.
Close-up of Ingrid Uys's oil painting showing large, detailed moth and butterfly wings in tones of white, brown, and translucent pigment.
Detailed section of an Ingrid Uys painting featuring moth wings in blues, deep teals, and light greens on a white background.
Close-up of Ingrid Uys's artwork showing a cluster of painted moth wings in mint green, pale blue, and dark accent colours.
Close-up of an Ingrid Uys painting showing moth and butterfly wings in tones of brown, white, blue, and green on a white surface.

Elli Wahl: From Darkness to Illumination

Wahl’s paintings, in contrast to Uys’s light-focused approach, begin in darkness through abstraction, gesture, and the unruly pull of paint. From this profound foundation, she works toward illumination, revealing form through erasure, light, and the gradual emergence of being. Her artistic process mirrors the very transformation she seeks to capture on canvas.

Her figures and dung beetles inhabit a state of flux: human and mythic, fragile yet enduring. The African dung beetle, Scarabaeus satyrus, guided by the stars of the Milky Way, becomes both symbol and companion. This creature serves as a quiet echo of Kafka’s transformation, but also its redemption, representing navigation through darkness toward light.

Rather than isolating like Kafka’s metamorphosis, Wahl’s work seeks connection through an acceptance of the perpetual in-between, the beauty of becoming through shadow and light.

Portrait of artist Elli Wahl smiling in front of one of her dark green, abstract paintings.
Close-up of an Elli Wahl figure in intense teal tones on a textured surface, transitioning from dark vertical strokes to a luminous form.
Metamorphosis Exhibition. Ethereal portrait by Elli Wahl, using diluted teal ink to depict an expressive figure from the chest up on a white background.
Metamorphosis Exhibition. Abstract artwork by Elli Wahl in deep teal ink on white, forming a concentrated oval shape around a central figure.
Metamorphosis Exhibition. Vibrant abstract figure by Elli Wahl, rendered in concentrated teal ink on white paper, with visible dark blue-green brushwork.
Metamorphosis Exhibition. Close-up of an Ingrid Uys oil painting showing the back and shoulder of a figure blended with bold strokes of dark and light teal.
Metamorphosis Exhibition. Painting by Ingrid Uys, depicting a seated female figure in blue-green tones with expressive dark strokes and a sense of shadow.

A Dialogue of Artistic Opposites

Together, Uys and Wahl create a dialogue of opposites that explores illumination and obscurity, transparency and density, fragility and persistence. The exhibition becomes a meditation on change itself, while also serving as an invitation to see transformation not as an ending, but as a continuous unfolding.

Their shared exploration reveals transformation as a way of being in light and in darkness, creating space for viewers to contemplate their own processes of change and growth.

Metamorphosis Exhibition Details and Visitor Information

The Metamorphosis Exhibition, opening in November 2025, opens with essential details visitors need to know:

  • Opening Reception: 8 November 2025, 11:00-16:00
  • Venue: Candice Berman Gallery
  • Address: 223 Jan Smuts Avenue, Johannesburg
  • Exhibition Focus: Light and shadow interplay in contemporary South African art
  • Featured Artists: Ingrid Uys and Elli Wahl

The gallery provides a perfect backdrop for these contemplative works, allowing visitors to experience the interplay of light and shadow that defines both artists’ practices.

Art enthusiasts can expect to encounter works that challenge traditional boundaries between abstraction and representation, while also offering profound insights into the nature of transformation itself. The exhibition promises to engage both seasoned collectors and newcomers to contemporary South African art.

Experience Metamorphosis Exhibition November 2025

Ready to witness the transformative power of light and shadow? The Metamorphosis Exhibition, November 2025, promises to be a defining moment in South African contemporary art, bringing together two exceptional voices in an unforgettable dialogue of becoming.

Whether you’re drawn to Uys’s luminous explorations of feminine identity or captivated by Wahl’s journey from darkness to illumination, this exhibition offers a rare opportunity to experience transformation as both artistic process and personal revelation.

Don’t miss this extraordinary celebration of change, resilience, and the beauty found in life’s continuous unfolding. Visit www.candicebermangallery.com to stay updated on this significant artistic collaboration.

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