“I want to subvert the historical narrative of black subjects and objects in my work in the context of contemporary society”
I use cyanotype as it gives me the ability to manipulate colour and age my work. However, you also get a sense that it is not an old image because the garments I have designed are made out of Shweshwe cloth. I am a South Sutu woman, we make our clothes with shweshwe cloth which was inherited from the Dutch settlers when Jan van Riebeeck arrived in South Africa. These subtle elements imply this is not just any black woman this is a Hutu woman. It’s not a huge statement because most people don’t pick that up, but some people do realise it’s made out of shweshwe cloth, and then figure out I’m Sutu.We need to look into black women and the issues they deal with, class, misogyny, occupying spaces, and racism. If my grandmother, late mother, and myself are still dealing with the same issues, it’s still going to take time for black women in South Africa to have an elevated voice, integrity, and identity. We have so many stories to tell, we’re the generation and the aftermath of colonialism, and a generation that race, culture, and gender issues still affect. We are continuously grappling with these issues, not just in our personal lives but also the institutions that we occupy.
Dimakatso Mathopa
Prices
