Jade Nair

Jade Nair is the curator of the Michaelis Galleries, the University of Cape Town’s fine art complex. Here, she produces a diverse exhibitions calendar for the gallery whilst continuing to work collaboratively with private and public stakeholders in the arts and heritage sectors. Her research interests are, broadly, the legacies of colonialism and apartheid in South Africa and, more specifically, how those legacies are made manifest through material culture and labour. Her curatorial practice is underscored by giving voice to marginalised communities and histories.

She has been invited to speak about her curatorial practice at Parsons Paris | The New School (2021), the University of Basel (2022), the University of Pretoria (2023), the Progress History Summit, Germany (2023), and UniArts Helsinki (2025).