Rape ordeal inspires exhibition

THE national Art Gallery in Bulawayo last Thursday opened a three-week photographs and installations exhibition titled “In my private moments”.

In the exhibition, South African Fulufhelo Mobadi is collaborating with Harare-based artiste Kresiah Mukwazhi for the first time. The two women are the curators of the exhibition.

In an interview with Sunday Life, Mthabisi Phili who is the organiser of the exhibition said:

“The exhibition will run up until end of June. Mobadi and Mukwazhi are together exploring on their lives. They are also bringing in new ideas to the art industry through photographs and installations,” said Phili.

Phili said the exhibition aims to create a relationship between Zimbabwe and South Africa.

“This exhibition seeks to educate people in the city, there are already links of cultural exchange between Zimbabwe and South Africa. This exhibition therefore aims at creating cordial relations and opportunities for collaborations with other artistes,” he said.

A total of 16 pieces and installations by Mobadi and Mukwazhi are so far on display.

Mobadi said her creations are a result of curiosity around identity and how society has defined it.

“I feel a need to question and challenge societal mannerism in particular where they objectify the woman. I am exploring the woman undressed in my mixed media work where my main media work is a bra. This work uncovers what we cover every day (underwear). I have come to realise that fashion is evolving and my body of work questions the idea of the woman advocating not to be as seen as a sex object in a world where fashion models her as that. I am expressing the representation of the metropolitan woman in a cultured society,” she said.

Mukwazhi, who is into photography and three dimensional sculptures, said that she was exploring on issues that question society on subjects such as identity, fertility, gender and belonging.

“In 2011 I was raped. I opened a case against the perpetrator. For two years I went back and forth to court hoping the case would finally be resolved. Every time I was summoned to court I felt as though I was being stripped naked in a room full of people. It was humiliating. All I could do was put up a brave face and this made me start this documentary,” she said.