Johannesburg-based artist Nyakallo Maleke presents her solo exhibition, 'A Soft Language of Distance,' at Bode in Berlin. The show features an expanded practice of drawing that incorporates textiles, wax paper, and intricate stitching to explore themes of movement, memory, and spatial experience. Maleke, who was recently named the recipient of the 2025 Standard Bank Young Artist Award, utilizes these unconventional materials to create a tactile vocabulary that bridges the gap between intimate gesture and architectural form.
This exhibition marks a significant international moment for Maleke, reinforcing her status as a rising figure in contemporary South African art following her recognition by the Standard Bank Arts program. By blending visual art with her background as a published fiction writer, Maleke pushes the boundaries of drawing into the realms of installation and performance. Her work at Bode offers European audiences and collectors a focused look at how materiality can be used as a meditative tool for research and a means of articulating complex emotional landscapes.