Athi-Patra Ruga

♂ *1984 / South Africa

Works

Solo exhibitions

Lord, I gotta keep on (movin’)

Leslie-Lohman Gay Art Foundation, New York (US)
11 Sep 2025 – 18 Jan 2026
Of Gods, Rainbows and Omissions

Somerset House, London (GB)
4 Oct 2018 – 6 Jan 2019
Queens in Exile

WHATIFTHEWORLD, Cape Town (ZA)
29 Nov 2017 – 11 Feb 2018

Group

As We Rise: Photography from the Black Atlantic

Saatchi Gallery, London (GB)
5 Nov 2024 – 20 Jan 2025

with James Barnor, Dawoud Bey, Arielle Bobb-Willis, Kwame Brathwaite, Sandra Brewster, Vanley Burke, Mohamed Camara, Kennedi Carter, Stan Douglas, Louis Draper, Rotimi Fani-Kayode, Samuel Fosso …
As We Rise

Photography from the Black Atlantic

Peabody Essex Museum, Salem (US)
17 Jun 2023 – 31 Dec 2023

with Raphael Albert, Henry Clay Anderson, James Barnor, Dawoud Bey, Arielle Bobb-Willis, Deanna Bowen, Jody Brand, Kwame Brathwaite, Sandra Brewster, Elliott Jerome Brown, Vanley Burke, Mohamed Camara …
DEEP BLUE

Museu do Porto , Porto (PT)
18 May 2023 – 2 Jul 2023

with Faisal Abdu'allah, Kudzanai Chiurai, Monica de Miranda, Sandim Mendes, Sethembile Msezane, Silvia Rosi, Zineb Sedira, Xaviera Simmons, Buhlebezwe Siwani, Helena Uambembe
As We Rise: Photography from the Black Atlantic

The Polygon Gallery, North Vancouver (CA)
24 Feb 2023 – 21 May 2023

with Raphael Albert, Henry Clay Anderson, James Barnor, Dawoud Bey, Arielle Bobb-Willis, Deanna Bowen, Jody Brand, Kwame Brathwaite, Sandra Brewster, Elliott Jerome Brown, Vanley Burke, Mohamed Camara …
Ensemble

The Polygon Gallery, North Vancouver (CA)
23 Feb 2022 – 11 Mar 2022

with Steffani Jemison, Yinka Shonibare MBE
Courage is as Contagious as Fear

Selected works from the Hoosein Mahomed Collection

Norval Foundation, Cape Town (ZA)
8 Feb 2020 – 21 Apr 2020

with Jody Brand, Kudzanai Chiurai, Steven Cohen, David Goldblatt, Donna Kukama, Moshekwa Langa, Nandipha Mntambo, Zanele Muholi, Berni Searle
Africa State of Mind

Mus African Diaspora, San Francisco (US)
4 Sep 2019 – 15 Nov 2019

with Emmanuelle Andrianjafy, Sammy Baloji, Neil Beloufa, Girma Berta, Eric Gyamfi, Lebohang Kganye, Kiluanji Kia Henda, Namsa Leuba, Michael MacGarry, Sabelo Mlangeni, Musa Nxumalo, Ruth Ossai …
Kiss My Genders

Hayward Gallery, London (GB)
12 Jun 2019 – 8 Sep 2019

with Sadie Benning, Nayland Blake, Luciano Castelli, Jimmy Desana, Chitra Ganesh, Lyle Ashton Harris, Nicholas Hlobo, Peter Hujar, Tarek Lakhrissi, Zoe Leonard, Pierre Molinier, Zanele Muholi …
Africa State of Mind

Impressions Gallery, Bradford (GB)
29 Mar 2019 – 15 Jun 2019

with Emmanuelle Andrianjafy, Neil Beloufa, Girma Berta, Eric Gyamfi, Lebohang Kganye, Kiluanji Kia Henda, Namsa Leuba, Michael MacGarry, Sabelo Mlangeni, Musa Nxumalo, Ruth Ossai, Michael Tsegaye
The Fabric of Felicity

Garage Museum of Contemporary Art, Moscow (RU)
12 Sep 2018 – 27 Jan 2019

with Taslima Akhter, Kader Attia, Zarina Bhimji, Anastasia Bogomolova, Olga Chernysheva, Jimmy de Sana, Hans Eijkelboom, Candida Hoefer, Farrah Karapetian, Ali Kazma, Sharon Kivland, Katalin Ladik …
Africa State of Mind

New Art Exchange, Nottingham (GB)
29 Sep 2018 – 16 Dec 2018

with Emmanuelle Andrianjafy, Sammy Baloji, Neil Beloufa, Girma Berta, Mimi Cherono Ng Ok, Eric Gyamfi, Lebohang Kganye, Kiluanji Kia Henda, Namsa Leuba, Michael MacGarry, Sabelo Mlangeni, Musa Nxumalo …
Embodied Politic

Rhona Hoffman Gallery, Chicago (US)
25 May 2018 – 6 Jul 2018

with Deana Lawson, Ebony G. Patterson
Re(as)sisting Narratives

Unseen Photo Festival

Framer Framed, Amsterdam (NL)
28 Aug 2016 – 27 Jul 2016

with Mohau Modisakeng, Mary Sibande
Imaginary Fact: Contemporary South African Art and the Archive

Venice Biennale - ZA, Venezia (IT)
1 Jun 2013 – 24 Nov 2013

with Donna Kukama, Zanele Muholi, Sam Nhlengethwa, Andrew Putter, Penny Siopis, Sue Williamson
III Moscow International Biennale For Young Art

Moscow Museum of Modern Art, Moscow (RU)
12 Jul 2012 – 19 Aug 2012

with Edgardo Aragon, Wojciech Bakowski, Anetta Mona Chisa, Eli Cortinas, Laura Horelli, Pieter Hugo, Anastasia Khoroshilova, Jompet Kuswidananto, Alexandra Leykauf, Ryan McNamara, Nandipha Mntambo, Tova Mozard …
QUEER SELF PORTRAITS NOW

Fred Contemporary Art Gallery, London (GB)
24 Nov 2011 – 29 Jan 2012

with Nayland Blake, Chris Bogia, AA Bronson, Harold Offeh, Jack Pierson, Ryan Riddington, Trujillo Paumier, Del LaGrace Volcano, Ajamu X
Performa 11 - biennial of new visual art performance

Performa, New York (US)
1 Nov 2011 – 21 Nov 2011

with Abbas Akhavan, Julieta Aranda, Robert Ashley, Gerard Byrne, Tamar Ettun, Tamar Ettun, James Franco, Simon Fujiwara, Andrea Geyer, Sharon Hayes, Ragnar Kjartansson, Liz Magic Laser …
A Tribute To Photography

Primo Marella Gallery, Milano (IT)
9 Jun 2011 – 31 Jul 2011

with Eleanor Antin, Eelco Brand, Mat Collishaw, Tim Davis, Destiny Deacon , Tacita Dean, WENG Fen, Naomi Fisher, YANG Fudong, Chitra Ganesh, Nan Goldin, Douglas Gordon …
Africa, Assume Art Position!

Primo Marella Gallery, Milano (IT)
12 Nov 2010 – 5 Jan 2011

with Joel Andrianomearisoa, Mounir Fatmi, Barthelemy Toguo
AFRICA ART NOW: CONTEMPORARY ART FROM THE AFRICAN DIASPORA

Fred Contemporary Art Gallery, London (GB)
20 Sep 2010 – 29 Oct 2010

with Michael MacGarry, Zanele Muholi
Ampersand

Mercedes-Benz Museum, Berlin (DE)
11 Jun 2010 – 10 Oct 2010

with Dineo Seshee Bopape, Abrie Fourie, Michael MacGarry, Marcellvs L., Nandipha Mntambo, Patrick Fabian Panetta, Robin Rhode, Lasse Schmidt Hansen, Lerato Shadie, Mikhael Subotzky, Nontsikelelo "Lolo" Veleko
Spot on ... DAK'ART

Die 8. Biennale zeitgenössischer afrikanischer Kunst

ifa-Galerie Stuttgart, Stuttgart (DE)
16 Oct 2009 – 3 Jan 2010

with Mansour Ciss, Saidou Dicko, Samba Fall, George Fikry, Pelagie Gbaguidi, Abdoulaye Armin Kane, Amal El Kenawy, Achillekà Komguem, Mohamed Konaté, Nandipha Mntambo, Grace Ndiritu, Nkosikhona Ngcobo …
Spot on...

DAK'ART - Die 8. Biennale zeitgenössischer afrikanischer Kunst

ifa-Galerie, Berlin (DE)
3 Apr 2009 – 21 Jun 2009

with Mansour Ciss, Saidou Dicko, Samba Fall, George Fikry, Abdoulaye Armin Kane, Amal El Kenawy, Achillekà Komguem, Mohamed Konaté, Nandipha Mntambo, Grace Ndiritu, Nkosikhona Ngcobo, Ibrahima »Piniang« Niang …
The Biennial of Contemporary African Art

The Biennial of Contemporary African Art, Dakar (SN)
9 May 2008 – 9 Jun 2008

with Saidou Dicko, Samba Fall, George Fikry, Pelagie Gbaguidi, Abdoulaye Armin Kane, Mohamed Konaté, Nandipha Mntambo, Grace Ndiritu, Nkosikhona Ngcobo

Events

Bienal’23 Fotografia do Porto - ACTS OF EMPATHY

70 ARTISTS / 16 EXHIBITIONS

Ci.CLO Plataforma de Fotografia, Porto (PT)
18 May 2023 – 2 Jul 2023

with Faisal Abdu'allah, Ursula Biemann, Myriam Boulos, Kudzanai Chiurai, Monica de Miranda, Jorge Graça, Mohamed Hassan, Hyeseon Jeong and Seongmin Yuk, Uwa Iduozee, Rima Maroun, Alice Martins, Sandim Mendes …
Capture Photography Festival 2023

Capture Photography Festival, Vancouver (CA)
1 Apr 2023 – 30 Apr 2023

with Henry Clay Anderson, Roy Arden, James Barnor, Dawoud Bey, Arielle Bobb-Willis, Deanna Bowen, Kwame Brathwaite, Sandra Brewster, Vanley Burke, Mohamed Camara, Kennedi Carter, Jorian Charlton …
LOOP Fair 2019

LOOP, Barcelona (ES)
19 Nov 2019 – 21 Nov 2019

with Gabriel Abrantes, Adam Broomberg & Oliver Chanarin, Olga Chernysheva, Peter Forgacs, Hamza Halloubi, Peyman Hooshmandzadeh, Aapo Huhta, Tao Hui, Polina Kanis, Vendula Knopova, Romain Kronenberg, Basim Magdy …
1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair Marrakech 2019

1:54 African Art Fair, Marrakech (MA)
21 Feb 2019 – 24 Feb 2019

with Hicham Benohoud, Nathalie Boutte, Joana Choumali, Omar Victor Diop, Mounir Fatmi, David Goldblatt, Hassan Hajjaj, Pieter Hugo, Seydou Keita, Kapwani Kiwanga, Maurice Mbikayi, Kyle Meyer …
The 11th African Biennale of Photography

Bamako - Afrotopia

Maison Africaine Photo, Bamako (ML)
2 Dec 2017 – 31 Jan 2018

with Heba Y. Amin, Hela Ammar, James Barnor, Neil Beloufa, Girma Berta, Sibusiso Bheka, Joana Choumali, Julien Creuzet, Kadara Enyeasi, Mounir Fatmi, Samuel Fosso, Gabrielle Goliath …