Patra, 2023 Synthetic hair fiber, porcelain, sandstone, rope, steel 14 x 8 x 3 feet
Inspired by the form of a vulva and the canal of a dissected ship, this work contemplates the nurturing, guiding, and supportive role Black women have played in the artist’s life. It recalls the global cultural, medical, political, economic, and social contributions of Black women across time, who so often go unrecognized.
Positioned as a womb, Patra cradles a large porcelain cowrie and is anchored by a rock – a solid and dependable mass. Within the context of South Africa, where the work was conceived, the politicised phrase ‘You strike a woman, you strike a rock’ comes to mind. These words are extracted from the powerful protest song and symbolise the courage and strength expressed at the Women’s March to the Union Buildings in 1956.
