About the Universe
South African artist Simphiwe Ndzube’s first U.S. solo museum exhibition, Simphiwe Ndzube: Oracles of the Pink Universe, presents nine new works exploring the interplay between magical realism and history. Magical realism infuses reality with elements of the fantastical and was first utilized by artists in Latin America.
The exhibition integrates themes related to power, conflict, and the search for freedom through the Pink Universe. The Pink Universe is an imaginative world that combines fantasy with the history of Ndzube’s post-apartheid South Africa.
Read Together
How do artists combine fantastical elements and reality? Consider how imagination transforms even the most ordinary environments with this book and art pairing. Compare how Ndzube combines fantasy and history in his art with how author Carson Ellis combines fantasy and reality in the children’s book Du Iz Tak?
Related Creativity Resources

Du Iz Tak?

Create Your Own Universe


The Art of the Samurai
Suit of Armor and Helmet is a unique object in our collection that looks functional but was actually made in admiration of Samurai’s of the past. Take a closer look at how this suit of armor balances delicate details and symbols of fierceness and consider what faithfulness, loyalty, and dedication might have meant in 18th century Japan.
From Art to Money and Everything in Between
