I am a visual artist / independent curator, founder and Executive director of Thamgidi Foundation, (a private fund that supports cross- cultural exchange) and also collects and preserves Contemporary Art from Africa and the diaspora; I am the Producer and artistic director of IFAA an (International cross-discipinary Festival and Artist in residency Platform), taking place in different cities world wide; I am also the Producer of Art, Books en Wine (an international network bringing together arts and business through Literature, Art, Food and Wine) and also run an independent artist in residency space in the Netherlands.As a painter, I mainly work in oil but also enjoy making installations, ceramic sculpture and experimenting with photography.
My work deals with issues of belonging, narration and collective memory. I am interested in investigating complexities associated with place, historical consciousness and representation in cross-cultural interaction.
Title of work: Day Dream from the new series of works Traditions that Matter.
My current work is focused on the institution and decay of society. I am particularly investigating “Traditions that matter” with the focus on how societies remember and the role of narratives in institutional erosion.
When I lived in Zimbabwe, my work then focused on belonging, human rights, women and their place in society. Migrating to the Netherlands brought about many challenges that created a huge shift in my work and subject. This resulted in me becoming the subject of investigation aggravated by a search for belonging that came as a result of loss of place.
This shift led to my last project entitled Footsteps of Change – a series of paintings and installation that chronicles oral history, national identity, and collective trauma. The paintings and installation are a total of 80 pieces that represent the birth of a nation.
The thread that runs through all my work has to do with ownership in the sense of caring for and taking mutual responsibility. This refers to the present, our history and future, in place and culture.
S'thabile Mlotshwa
www.mlotshwa.blogspot.com,
To know more about my past and current projects please visit the links below:
IFAA International: www.ifaa-platform.org
IFAA Netherlands: www.ifaa-net.eu
