A Time for Endings and Beginnings
A Time for Endings and Beginnings
7 November 2020
Cole Ndelu
Mashudu Nevhutalu
Heidi Fourie
Tatenda Chidora
Cole Ndelu
Title: A Portrait of Shelter
Themes: vulnerability, self-care, sisterhood, healing
I call it A Portrait of Shelter because it's about closeness, connection and symbolize the past few months of the pandemic for me. I think we’ve all had a difficult time, in our own ways and it’s important to hold space for that knowing, without letting that diminish or take-away from your journey. For me, it’s been a year of growth, expansion and alignment and it wasn’t always pretty or cute.
Self-care isn’t always face masks and scented candles; for me self-care was about doing the work of loving myself, finding balance and trusting that I would overcome. I had a few slogans/mantras for myself - “this is the breakdown before the breakthrough”, “keep burning”, “patience, Dear One” “You have time / I have time” and this process brought me closer to myself and closer to those I hold dear. But I’m going to speak just the 2 people in these photographs; Jackie and Sami who I spent lockdown with Level 5 - Level 1. We went through a lot together, carried each other and shared the highs and lows and I’m so glad that I didn’t have to go through this period alone.
This picture is about Balance - home is an ecosystem that requires balance, relationships require balance and knowing where the weight is distributed, testing the stability of the ground and trusting that it can hold you. Trusting that these hands you call sister, friend, mother, aunty, lover, can hold you.
Women and Healing: this has been a difficult time to be a black woman, the outside world can be vile, violent and unflinching when it comes to the atrocities black women experience. I know this and try not to internalize it too much, I create pockets of safety for myself to be in the solace of the quiet because it gets too loud outside. I’m grateful for the women in me that are healing, for the strength we’re rediscovering, for the power we are owning and for some of us, learning to own.
Self-care is a political act; in an interview, Tyler Mitchell refereed to our joy as an act of justice - I felt that so deeply. It is all justice, it is all owed to us: peace, freedom, love, health, joy, safety, etc... take it, create it, allow it. It is right and just for you to Be.
Heidi Fourie
Tatenda Chidora
1. Your 1st Solo Exhibition opened in September 2019 - what has changed in how you approach your work since then?
I have embraced on the process of allowing myself of actually processing towards creating work. Being very thoughtful in the process of creating. I have allowed myself to perceive from a genuine place of creativity from the inside and less sausage machine processing and just trying
to get to the next thing. I have confidence in creating and have experienced my audience’s engagement in my work. I have a personal mature approach to my craft. I see my images at times before creating them. I’m in a special and secret space in my journey.
2. For this group show “Endings and Beginnings” you’re showing a work titled “If Covid Was a Colour” - Tell us more about the thought that went into creating this piece and the choice of your title.
The lack of hugs and affection from people due to social distancing. At the start of the lockdown I thought people were being a little extra by wearing gloves and later found myself wearing them. I did a sketch of the piece so that I wouldn’t forget the concept and later I found myself blowing blue gloves. These gloves were so prominent and I found myself seeing them almost everywhere I went. So if Covid was a colour it would be that Blue from these gloves.
3. How were you and your work influenced by the silence brought on by South Africa’s highly restrictive COVID-19 lockdown measures?
I got a lot of time to reflect and build my visual library. This is probably the one time I have created work that is themed around current situations. "If Covid was a Colour" and "Mask Conversation" - the props were circled around the things we had to adopt around the pandemic. I have used my hands a lot for making props.
4. Now that most people have re-established a sense of freedom, is there a new way of life which you adopted during lockdown that you’d like to maintain moving forward?
I had time to reflect and be still during the Lockdown and I am already seeing tracks of headlessness already. I am constantly on the run. It would be great to be mindful and take time to centre oneself as often as possible.
5. As we approach the end of an unprecedentedly tumultuous year, what are some of the things 2020 has made you most thankful for?
I am super grateful for life. I had never had so much time to think clearly before until I was stuck in my house for level 5. I have great family and many friends that have qualified themselves to be family. Waking up everyday is a wonder for me. I had an opposite approach to lock down where instead of things being slow I had many collectors come and invest in my work. I am grateful for life.