The world at her fingertip

Art portfolio- my work

I am pleased to announce that this work is currently on show at the KKNK (Klein Karoo National Arts Festival, in Oudtshoorn (South Africa) until the 11th of April.  It is part of a fantastic group exhibition called “Princess in the Veld”, curated by Adele Adendorff.

I will post more about this specific group exhibition as soon as I can but in the mean time you can look at all the work and read more about each of the artists  here

The world at her fingertip 2015 (cotton thread, rubber/inner tube/ batting and wood. (photo courtesey of Adele Adendorff

The world at her fingertip 2015 (cotton thread, rubber/inner tube/ batting and wood. (photo credit: Adele Adendorff

From the curator’s pen:

Opting for rubber tyres and coloured cotton thread, Hannalie Taute’s engaging artworks weave a feminine narrative that re-stages parochial views and prevailing stereotypes of local women through her careful selection of medium, content and treatment. Taute’s practice is largely inscribed by a feminist agenda which aims to break down essentialised notions of female identity and offers, instead, an alternative view of the roles women play in culture and society with particular reference to the South African milieu. Drawing her inspiration from cultural myths, fairy tales and social constructs that often frame women as demure, subservient, fragile beings, Taute’s pieces aim to dismantle delimiting notions of femininity through the use of irony and pun. Similarly, the format of Taute’s artworks also negotiate the traditional boundaries imposed between so-called high art and craft which furthermore conflates Western and non-Western notions of art.

Taute’s incessant search for the regeneration and review of the female self is not merely explored thematically but also underscored, conceptually, through her unique selection of materials. The artist makes use of harsh, masculine associations evoked by the rubber tyres. This, juxtaposed alongside the labour-intensive and elaborate stitching of imagery and text, questions traditional associations of the domestic realm and so-called ‘women’s work’. The employment of the craft of embroidery, evident in The world at her fingertip (2015), situates Taute’s interpretation of female selves as simultaneously alluding to and resisting traditional notions of femininity. The artist’s often tongue-in-cheek approach subverts traditional notions of femininity and, instead, yields an interpretation of female identity that is liminal, empowered and engaging.

detail of work (The world at her fingertip)

detail of work (The world at her fingertip)

So if you are in the Oudthsoorn area, you are welcome to go and have a look.  The exhibition is at the Prince Vincent building in Baron van Rheede street, Oudtshoorn.