Due to popular demand, the exhibition has been extended. You can catch my work ‘Size Matters” graciously on loan from the collector (Mike Spittal) in the exhibition: Mooi Nooi – Sculpting Identity curated by Karolien van Zyl. The exhibition is currently on view at the Origins Centre Museum in Johannesburg, South Africa until the 1st of March 2025. Herewith some installation images courtesy of the curator and the museum:
This work is inspired by the sculpture of Anton van Wouw which also featured on the cover of the magazine called “Die Boerevrou”(March 1919).
I looked at his sculpture while pondering my thoughts on being an “Afrikaner-meisie”.
I personally don’t like how the female “Boerevrou” figure is standing because she looks so demure and I always thought of Afrikaner women as strong; especially since they had to travel great distances in harsh and difficult circumstances (Die Groot Trek).
So I did a bit of research and found that women back in the day were not happy with his work since they believed that the “Voortrekker kappie’ depicted was not like the ones Afrikaner women wore in South Africa ….and much later when feminism reached South Africa women were upset because in the poem by JF Cilliers that featured underneath this work by van Wouw which ended with the words: “Ik sien haar win, want haar naam is – Vrouw en moeder”…and the feminist said that not all women are mothers.
That was when I decided to embroider myself in the nude sitting on the steps of this ‘monument’ with my back turned away from the ‘Boerevrou’…trying to redefine myself.
I am happy to announce that this work will be at this years FNB Joburg Art Fair (from 11- 13 September 2015); at the Everard Read gallery JHB booth.
This will be the first time my work will be exhibited at this art fair. A monumental moment indeed