Exhibition Details

AKKA Project announces the selection of South African artist Leila Rose Fanner for the eleventh iteration of its now-famous artist-in-residence program. From June to August 2024, AKKA Project Venezia will serve as the artist's atelier, situated in the vibrant cultural heart of the city.
Hailing from a lineage of artistry, Leila Rose Fanner was nurtured in a diverse South African and American milieu of art and music, which cultivated her interests in art, design, and music, imbued with a feminine perspective inherited from her predominantly female family. As a natural result, Leila chose to attend the JHB National School of the Arts in Johannesburg, specializing in graphic design and watercolour painting. Her debut performance took place in 1993 at the very young age of 23. Despite her formal education, Leila has retained her stylistic ingenuity and distinctive innovative artistic expression.
Her educational journey has been intertwined with experiential learning, guided by creative mentors who inspired her to produce both figurative and non-figurative works characterized by silhouetted and dusky figures, intricate patterns, vivid hues, and indigenous South African flora. Through her canvases, Leila Rose recounts a transcendent voyage into the tangible realm, employing an intuitive creative process deeply rooted in a feminine perspective. Her current artistic medium favours oil and oil pastels on canvas or wood.
In her artistic practice, Fanner underscores the significance of maintaining focus and clarity of thought, fostering an environment of inspiration and enthusiasm akin to a meditative state, while avoiding the chain of thoughts associated with suffering and anguish during the creative process. Thus, her mental disposition assumes paramount importance.
Presently, Leila actively participates in both local and international art fairs, including the 1-54 Contemporary Art Fair in New York and London, alongside AKAA (Also Known As Africa) in Paris. Her works have garnered recognition in various publications such as Harlem Fine Arts Magazine, Vogue Gallery, and SA Art Times, and have been showcased globally, spanning South Africa, Italy, the United States, the Netherlands, France, and the United Kingdom.
The outcome of Leila Rose's Venetian sojourn will be unveiled during her solo exhibition at AKKA Project Venezia in Leila Rose Fanner: The Residency Outcome, from September 18th to September 30th, 2024. The gallery will showcase Leila's creations conceived during her residency in the lagoon, reaffirming AKKA Project's commitment to championing contemporary African art and fostering a dynamic dialogue with the captivating Venetian art scene.