Can you tell us how THK Gallery has come into being?
THK Gallery was founded by Frank Schönau in 2018, a long-term collector and supporter of the arts. His deep involvement includes supporting curator Udo Kittleman’s German Pavilion at the 49th Venice Biennale, where Udo’s presentation of Gregor Schneider’s Totes Haus ur won the Golden Lion. Another notable project Frank supported was James Turrell’s monumental Irish Sky Garden near Skibbereen, Ireland. In 2018 he decided to take his involvement one step further and THK Gallery was born.
How has the gallery developed/changed over the years?
Since 2020, when auction veteran Linda Pyke joined as a Director, the gallery has increased its international focus in several ways. Firstly, by expanding the artist roster to include international artists, and by increasing our online and international fair presence, which has further expanded our international collector base. The second key pillar of the business is Art Advisory, and here we are working with select clients to build their collections of blue-chip international artists.
How was THK affected by the 2020 pandemic?
2020 was certainly challenging, at the same time the lockdown presented an opportunity to reflect on and redefine our vision and strategy for the gallery, as well as giving us the time to implement it. We focused largely on our online and international presence, which is now invaluable to us.
How easy was it for the gallery to transition to a purely online space due to lockdown in South Africa?
The transition was relatively seamless as our database was fully digital. We then transformed this into an online gallery experience, including viewing rooms. We were thus able to launch our new platform and viewing rooms in the first week of lockdown, in April 2020.
Has THK found that the importance of social media (namely Instagram) has grown significantly over the past year?
Social media, including Instagram, forms a key part of both our communication and sales strategies, and we grow this in tandem with other platforms.
With this recent digitalisation of the art world, has the gallery found that its clientele has diversified?
Our collector base has always been diverse, and the increased digitalisation has amplified this trend.
Are THK’s clients predominantly local or international art collectors?
We have a strong local collector base, although the balance of collectors is international. Our international sales in the last quarter include Australia, Germany, Greece, France, Madagascar, Monaco, Turkey, the UK and the USA.
Does the gallery have any exciting projects lined up for 2021?
We certainly do. We will be having a pop up exhibition in a transformer station in Cologne during the European summer, and are working on some exciting plans for the gallery, although these are at too early a stage to share. Watch this space!
Can you tell us about your participation in 1-54 African Art Fair in Paris earlier this year?
1-54 Paris at Christie’s was a very successful fair for us. Although we were not able to travel at the last minute, it was a great platform and all credit goes to the 1-54 and Christie’s teams for making it happen. It was an opportunity to connect and start new conversations, and of course to place works in collections.
Current exhibitions at THK Gallery:
Andrew Kayser (b. 1975, South Africa) is a contemporary artist living and working in inner-city Johannesburg, South Africa. He graduated from the Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten (Royal Academy of Art), Den Haag, Netherlands in 2001 and went on to participate in several exhibitions in and around the Netherlands before returning to South Africa in 2005. Kayser shows regularly at both FNB Joburg Art Fair and Investec Cape Town Art Fair and is represented in collections locally and abroad. Check out his latest solo exhibition at THK titled Not Enough Time To Do Nothing on display until 30 April 2021.
Manyatsa Monyamane (b. 1989) is a visual storyteller, inspired and influenced by African literature, theatre, and everyday surroundings. Unpacking difficult themes, Monyamane’s photography often brings attention to stories overlooked by the mainstream media.
She was a finalist at Pop Cap 2016 and, in 2017, a Multi & New Media Merit Award Winner for the Thami Mnyele Fine Arts Awards, as well as a Merit Award Winner for the Absa L’Atelier Awards. In 2018, she was announced as a finalist for the International Women Photographers Award, with a travelling exhibition in Dubai, New Delhi, Tokyo and Paris. A selection of works from the Pele Magareng Morago (Before During After) series were shown at 1-54 London 2020, and Philla from the Serithi Series was shown online at 1-54 Paris at Christie’s. Don’t miss out on her Online Exclusive show running until 8 April 2021.
