Indigo, Denim and Identity

A Panel Discussion on Art, Fashion, History and Textiles

Hosted by Occupying The Gallery in collaboration with TSHEPO JEANS

What can a textile tell us about who we are, where we come from, and the histories we carry? Join Occupying The Gallery and TSHEPO JEANS for a panel discussion exploring the intersections of art, fashion, history and textiles, with a particular focus on indigo and denim as materials shaped by cultural memory, craftsmanship, identity and exchange.

Bringing together Malian-French multidisciplinary artist, designer and master indigo dyer Aboubakar Fofana and South African fashion designer and entrepreneur Tshepo Mohlala, founder of TSHEPO JEANS, the conversation will consider how traditional textile practices can be preserved and reimagined, how materials carry histories across generations, and how contemporary creative practices can reclaim and redefine these narratives.

Fofana is internationally recognised for his work revitalising West African indigo-dyeing traditions and exploring the relationship between natural materials, cultural heritage and spirituality. Through his research into traditional dyeing processes, he brings renewed attention to the knowledge embedded in natural pigments and the relationship between craft, community and the environment.

Mohlala founded TSHEPO JEANS in Johannesburg in 2015, building a South African denim brand grounded in craftsmanship, storytelling and a distinctly African approach to fashion. Drawing on his personal history and the influence of the women who raised him, his work positions denim as more than an everyday fabric: it becomes a vehicle for self-expression, belonging and African identity.

The discussion will be moderated by Lawrence Lemaoana, artist and co-founder of Occupying The Gallery. Known for his textile-based mixed-media practice, Lemaoana explores the relationships between identity, history, media and power, using fabric and text to question dominant narratives and the ways in which culture is represented. His artistic practice and work in mentorship and artistic development bring a critical perspective to the conversation.

Together, the speakers will explore the cultural significance of textiles, the movement of materials and knowledge across geographies, and the possibilities of bringing historical practices into contemporary art and fashion. The discussion invites audiences to consider how textiles can function as archives of lived experience, expressions of identity, and sites for the exchange of knowledge between generations and creative disciplines.

Date: Tuesday, 27 October 2026

Time: 6:00 PM

Venue: TSHEPO JEANS, Hyde Park Corner, Shop UM32A, Upper Mall, Corner Jan Smuts Avenue and Winnie Mandela Drive, 6th Road, Hyde Park, Johannesburg, 2196

RSVP via Quicket.