Ausstellung 'I write (stitch) what I like' Senzeni Marasela

In the organizer's words:

Bode is pleased to present I write (stitch) what I like, a solo exhibition of Senzeni Marasela, a multidisciplinary artist investigating the questions of memory, place and loss, capturing fragility and softness of women, as well as dealing with personal narratives and historical gaps. The exhibition is the artist's first European gallery solo show. Senzeni Marasela will be present during the exhibition opening.

Opening:
Thursday, March 14, 5-8pm
Bode, Reinbeckstr. 29, 12459 Berlin

Since over twenty years Marasela has been documenting the story of Theodorah, a figure that represents both her mother and an alter ego of herself. Like many women, her mother was traumatized by events that took place in South Africa during the apartheid era, when millions of black Africans were removed from their homes and forced into segregated neighborhoods. Due to these mass evictions many women had 'lost' their husbands and were waiting for their return. Working with literature and archives, which have suffered state censorship up until recently, Marasela tries to reconstruct and fill these historical gaps. The artist is particularly interested in the acts of waiting and replacement. She studies the pathologies of women who were forced to wait, and translates it into an affecting visual language charged with political and historical gravity. Her Theodorah can be found within the variety of mediums: photographs, installations, textile and embroidery works. Theodorah is always accompanied by red color, which is central to the exhibition, as well as to the entire body of work of the artist, having a number of connotations.

Belonging to the generation of post-apartheid South African artists, Marasela investigates the fate of women separated from their families during the apartheid era, as well as analyzes post-apartheid Black female identities.

Senzeni Marasela (b. 1977) is a cross-disciplinary artist who explores photography, video, prints, and mixed-medium installations involving textiles and embroidery. Her work deals with history, memory, and personal narrative, emphasizing historical gaps and overlooked figures.