BITTERKOMIX – back cover (2020) – hand-pulled screen print by Anton Kannemeyer. See more of Anton’s work here, and follow him on Instagram.

• 7-colour screen print on 100% archival paper (BFK Rives 250gsm)
• Paper size: 560x760mm
• Limited edition of 25
• Numbered and signed by the artist
• Hand-printed in South Africa
• Prints are sold unframed; framing available on enquiry

The context for this work, in Kannemeyer’s words “is pretty self-explanatory”. And it offers clues about the cutting, uncensored content between the covers – the irreverent satire that Bitterkomix is famous for. Kannemeyer describes his approach: “I always try to find a fresh perspective, one that people will find jarring and controversial. … That discomfort should pose a question to the viewer, one that requires you to come back and rethink the meaning. And the purpose of my art, when I’m successful, is when the artwork has stimulated debate.”

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Anton Kannemeyer (b. 1967) is known, revered and also berated for his work in Bitterkomix – an anti-establishment, satirical comic magazine publication started in 1992 with fellow student Conrad Botes. Kannemeyer’s provocative take on South African politics, sex and race has continued to attract critical acclaim and controversy throughout his art career.

Kannemeyer has held numerous solo and group exhibitions both locally and abroad, including two solo shows in New York and group shows in Canada, Switzerland, Denmark, USA, Australia, Germany, DRC and The Netherlands. He has published a number of books including “Pappa in Afrika” (2010) which won the 2015 prize for best foreign graphic novel at Amadoras International Comic Festival in Portugal.

For those interested in the ongoing controversy around Kannemeyer’s work, have a look at this article: https://www.news24.com/arts/arts/anton-kannemeyer-says-cancel-culture-is-the-new-censorship-20200717