Basadi Ba Meutlwa II

My body of work attempts to question my womanhood and identity as a woman of colour.

The notion of the feminine as something small naïve and insignificant is something that I wrestle with daily and express in my work. I live in a context where I have the opportunities to educate myself and be independent and self-sustaining but, how far I go to attain these goals is still quite limited because of the cultural expectations that dictate what a ‘good’ woman is.

In my context, men and boys are afforded more liberty and space to explore and assert themselves and assume respect. My work interrogates these gender roles specifically the so called ‘feminine’ behaviors I have to adopt to remain safe, protected and acceptable within my family, community and broader context. At the same time, I grapple with what is considered more ‘masculine’ traits which include assertiveness, ambition, power over Self and respect.

Saara Baartman is an anchor within my work, in many ways her womanhood and her femaleness, rendered her powerless as she was reduced to an object of fascination. She had no power, especially over her own body.