Studied by 0 people
Looks like no one added any tags here yet for you.
Mary Sibanda
Mary Sibande was born and grew up in Barberton in Mpumalanga,she obtained an Honours Degree in Fine Art at the University of Johannesburg in 2007. Sibande works in various media including painting, sculpture and photography.
Mary Sibanda Influences
Cindy Sherman’s extensive series of photographic impersonations of a wide variety of women
Kara Walker a contemporary African American artist who explores race and gender by focusing on the history of slavery in America in room-size black cut-paper silhouettes.
Mary Sibanda Subject matter
Sibande attempts to critique stereotypical depictions of women, particularly black women in our society.
The body, for Sibande, and particularly the skin, and clothing is the place where history is contested and where fantasies play out.
She looks at the generational disempowerment of the black woman.
Mary Sibanda stylistics characteristics
Sibande developed the character of a maid, Sophie, in a series of life-size sculptures and photographic prints.
The figure used in the sculptures is a cast of the artist’s own body in fibreglass and silicone, the same material used for shop window mannequins.
Sibande’s interest in fashion and clothing has been channelled in her art.
Mary Sibanda issues that her works raises
Her sculptures and photographic artworks depicting the domestic worker are not to create feelings of anger, shame and humiliation in the viewer, but to transcend this reality where the domestic worker is able to liberate herself.
The implication is that we can all be free of the past.
This has significance for apartheid's victims, perpetrators or beneficiaries. The theatrical quality of her work places them in the realm of fantasy.
Daydreams are the products of an inner dialogue, which explains why Sophie is pictured with closed eyes.
Nicolas Hlobo - Macaleni Iintozomlambo, 2010
a tea stain on white watercolour paper forms the basis for the drawing. Meandering tentacles of pale brown are emphasised by intense orange and red stitches and further defined and textured by pale coloured ribbon sutures around the tea stain.
How is Hlobo’s art unconventional? Consider his subject matter and the materials he uses.
His work is known for its tactile, sculptural quality, incorporating nontraditional materials like rubber, leather, ribbon, and fabric. These materials, often stitched or woven together, reference traditional Xhosa practices while also symbolizing repair and connection, blurring the line between fine art and craft. This unique approach challenges conventional norms, creating layered narratives that are both deeply personal and culturally resonant.
How does Hlobo challenge gender based assumptions in his Artworks?
Nicholas Hlobo challenges gender-based assumptions in his artworks by exploring themes of fluidity and ambiguity in identity. Through the use of materials like leather, ribbons, and rubber, which traditionally carry gendered connotations, he blurs boundaries between masculinity and femininity.
Nicholas Hloba Themes
identity
gender
sexuality
and cultural heritage
often focusing on his experiences as a queer Xhosa man.
