PALM STUDIOS

OPENING DECEMBER 2025

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For the first time in over fifty years, the South African Jewish Museum presents a joint retrospective of Wolf Kibel (1903–1938) and Lippy (Israel Isaac) Lipshitz (1903–1980). These two Jewish émigré modernists shared a studio in Cape Town during the 1930s, where they worked side by side in painting, sculpture, monotype, and etching.

Their collaboration shaped the foundations of twentieth century South African art, while their individual practices, Kibel’s psychologically charged paintings and monotypes, and Lipshitz’s sculptural innovations across wood, stone, and bronze, remain cornerstones of the country’s artistic heritage.

Featuring works drawn from major institutions and private collections, including pieces never before seen publicly, this exhibition offers a rare opportunity to rediscover the radical modernism forged in Palm Studios.