BOEMO DIALE: EXPANDING VISUAL VOCABULARY WITH DAVID KRUT ARTS
Written by Lungile Ngcobo
Collaborative Printer: Kim-Lee Loggenberg-Tim
Boemo Diale working on an etching test plate to acquaint herself with the different techniques.
Boemo Diale is a multidisciplinary South African visual artist working in painting and sculpture, exploring themes of identity, spirituality, and cultural heritage. Rooted in storytelling, her practice draws from personal and collective history, weaving cultural symbolism into a broader socio-political narrative. A graduate of the University of the Witwatersrand with a degree in Film and Television, Boemo continues to push the boundaries of both concept and materiality in her work.
A key moment in her artistic journey was her collaboration at the David Krut Workshop (DKW) where she has been able to experiment with new techniques, materials, and processes, ultimately expanding her visual language and printmaking practice. Diale has been making prints with the DKW since 2021, where she was first introduced to the medium during her time as an intern. Since then, she has collaborated with the workshop team in a professional capacity, developing new ways to translate her rich visual narratives into print-based works.
In late 2024, Boemo returned to the workshop to create a new body of work with printer Kim-Lee Loggenberg-Tim —an exquisite collection of monotypes and etchings in preparation for the Brooklyn Fine Art Print Fair 2025.
Boemo Diale and Kim-Lee Loggenberg-Tim discussing one of Boemo’s etching test prints.
This series delves deeper into themes of identity and historical displacement, blending traditional printmaking with layering techniques. This marks Diale’s first foray into etching, a process she approached with both curiosity and intent. She took time to explore each technique thoroughly, allowing every print to emerge as a distinct piece, while maintaining cohesion within the series. With remarkable restraint, Diale consciously kept her etchings clean and minimal—a striking contrast to her typically bold, colourful canvases.
This thoughtful shift demonstrates both a deep respect for the medium and a commitment to letting each technique speak for itself, all while remaining true to her artistic style. Diale is particularly drawn to the tactile and layered qualities achieved using intaglio techniques like drypoint, sugarlift and softground, while Chine-collé and collage techniques incorporate texture and additional elements of colour into her prints.These methods align with her broader artistic practice, where she builds images from fragmented memories, archival materials, and personal reflections.
“Aren’t you thankful it happened?” 2024, edition of 15, Soft ground, drypoint, spitebite, handpainting, Chine colle and collage. 75 x 53 cm
Boemo Diale placing hand painted Tosa Washi on her “Aren’t you thankful it happened?” plate before it is run through the press to print a test.
Her time with the workshop team has also allowed her to refine her mark-making, using negative space, contrast, and intricate line work to create prints with the same depth as her drawings and mixed-media pieces. Each new print, produced in collaboration with the team, is a testament to her growth and evolving practice and her ability to adapt storytelling methods across different mediums.
Boemo’s collaboration with David Krut Arts remains ongoing, with exciting new works being shown at the 1:54 Art Fair in New York in May 2025 and the RMB Latitudes Art Fair 2025.
Boemo cutting thin printing papers to use as collage elements for her unique prints.
Her journey at David Krut Arts is not only about mastering new techniques but about discovering new ways to tell stories, preserve memories, and reimagine history through print. With more projects on the horizon and an exciting trajectory ahead, Boemo Diale’s work continues to challenge, inspire, and push the boundaries of South African contemporary printmaking.
Boemo adding some collage elements using chine colle hand painted pieces.
Boemo places her hand-painted monotypes onto the press for printing.
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