Exploring notions of queer gender, sexuality
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Sunday November 13, 2022 06:00
Also known as iKapa, her beautiful and breath taking infrastructures cannot go unnoticed.
Just by the Mother City are also two beautiful sites enriched with astonishing illustrations that just like music, have the ability of communicating to the soul and probably healing it.
Journalists from different corners of Africa who recently attended the Taboom Media Training in Cape Town had a chance to see the masterpieces that were placed at Lisa Linnow Gallery.
The gallery hosted the Queer Activism in Africa Exhibition and later the Zeitz Mocca where there was a Queer Art Tour. The images all illustrate stories in Taboom Media's and Gala Queer Archives 'Queers Activism in Africa' Anthology.
At Lisa Linnow Gallery, the artists through their painting, freely and simply expressed themselves and also showcased how the world is uninformed towards sexual orientation and gender identity. Amongst the paintings is of a boy dressed in shorts, t-shirt a red cap also wearing red high heels, something that remains unusual in most African households.
The other painting is a couple sitting in an African home lounge with photo frames of an ideal African home where there is a man, a woman and children. A painting that further indicates that a true Christian home should have both a male and female with children looking at the cross behind and Jesus is Lord Portrait.
This painting speaks volumes about both religious and societal expectations towards family. There are also black and white portraits that show how the queer community feels vulnerable and afraid to disclose their sexual orientation or gender identity for fear of being discriminated against.
These often cause dilemma of either going public about their identity or suffer quietly living a lie all in the name of satisfying their communities. The gallery possesses many beautiful paintings that communicate and touch the audience differently.
On the other side of the town by Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront is the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA). According to Senior Curator and Head of Curatorial Affairs at Zeitz MOCCA, Janse van Rensburg, the museum was spread over nine floors and carved out of the monumental structure of the historic grain silos. He added that the museum building was constructed from the conversion of the 57 metres tall historic grain silo, originally built between 1921 till 1924 by indentured labourers.
He, however, indicated that they had to rebuild the silos with its old material and of course adding more concrete and necessary building materials to make it more stronger and last for more decades to come.
The silo, disused since 1990, stands as a monument on the industrial past of Cape Town, at one time the tallest building in South Africa. “A variety of concrete cutting techniques were used.
The interior of the building was carved out to create a number of galleries and a large central hall. The remaining concrete shafts were capped with strengthened glass in order to allow natural light to enter and create a 'Cathedral-like' interior. From the exterior, the most noticeable change to the original structure was the addition of pillowed glass panels in the building upper floors.
We however left the other side of the museum unchanged. We wanted it to give the audience its authenticity,” he said. He further explained they have numerous art gallery spaces where each year they give artists from across Africa and the world a space to showcase their art. He, however, said they chose the best that could come up with fresh and brilliant ideas to showcase there.
In the galleries are splendid artifacts from sculptures to paintings, artworks and others. The artworks explored notions of queer gender and sexuality. One of the intriguing artifacts is the sculpture of an impundulu also known as the lightning bird made of different materials such as cloth; wires skeleton of a cow head shaped more like a flying dragon. According to its description, it is made by Nicolas Hlobo.
It further explained that the impundulu had distinct narratives according to the Bhaca and Zulu cultures in SA. The Zulus are said to also call it the bird of the heavens since it possesses large physical appearance and is described to have a red bill, legs and tail covered with brightly coloured feathers. “It creates a bright flash when it lays eggs, appearing during a thunderstorm, yet it can be killed by a diviner to be boiled and its fat mixed with an impundu, a bulbous plant. This concoction or muti is then spread at the entrance of the homestead to protect it from lighting including to phundula or to confuse evildoers,” it stated. Moreover, the description further states that that reverence for a powerful spiritual entity was also reflected in Idahor’s portraits. It further explains that their faces were absent and the ghostly figures wear ivie (precious beads) while their hair is styled in ornate form.
Their Edo names are unisex or female such as Aisosa (God’s gift) or Osamede (God creates the day). It further points out that the Edo people of Benin City celebrate powerful women like Emotan whose bronze statue honours her pioneering spirit that helped a 15th century prince Oba Ewuare gain power. It explains that she would be dressed and adorned with the beads including a headdress as represented in the details of Idahor’s artworks.
The duo’s artworks are said to be placed next to each other because they speak to the artistic process of embroidery and their symbolism relates to women in position of power. Those works are also said to ask viewers to imagine alternative readings of culture and history since they portray a connection between the past and the present.