Athi-Patra Ruga

WHATIFTHEWORLD, Cape Town

Acquired from the above by the present owner

Athi-Patra Ruga’s Even I Exist In Embo: Jaundiced Tales Of Counterpenetration #1 and #8 (both 2007) comprise a powerful pair of photographic works that reflect the artist’s signature synthesis of visual provocation and conceptual rigor. The pair demonstrates Ruga’s celebrated ability to challenge and reimagine the boundaries of identity, narrative, and place.

Created as part of a limited edition of five prints, these works delve into the notion of “counterpenetration”—a term Ruga employs to explore the porous and contested borders between bodies, histories, and geographies. The series title’s mention of “Embo,” alluding to both place and myth, evokes Ruga’s ongoing dialogue with South African cultural archives and lived experience. Through staged, allegorical compositions, the artist interrogates how personal and collective identities are shaped and transformed through social and political pressures.

The rich symbolism, theatricality, and stylized aesthetics characteristic of Ruga’s imagery invite viewers to read these photographs on multiple levels: as personal myth-making, social critique, and acts of resistance.

Notably, Athi-Patra Ruga is currently featured in the Brücke-Museum's major Berlin exhibition, Irma Stern. A Modern Artist between Berlin and Cape Town, where his site-specific intervention offers a queer Black perspective on Stern’s legacy and the complexities of cultural exchange—further highlighting his influential role in contemporary art discourse.

The present lot embodies the cross-cultural and multidisciplinary energy that defines Ruga’s practice. For collectors, these photographs offer a rare glimpse into the formative years of an artist whose work continues to redefine the possibilities of narrative photography, performance, and visual storytelling.