
Throughout history, society has been defining the woman and relentlessly attempting to create who she is. As a consequence these constructions of the woman, both her femininity and personality often dance against each other on the stage to the rhythms of mankind. They are watching her performance. They are judging the quality of her existence. In turn, she watches and judges herself. She questions her presence. Mbali Tshabalala is one such woman who, through the art that she creates, has explored her womanhood, uncovered her personhood, and searched to find a good balance between culture and the self in society.
In her occupancy of the art space, Tshabalala has accomplished incredible feats and has paved the way for other artists. She is an artist at the Asisebenze Art Atelier (AAA), where many artists’ studios are housed, located in Joburg’s inner city. During the Open Studios Joburg programmes which takes place this weekend, Tshabalala’s studio and many others at AAA will be open to the public.
According to Tshabalala, the atelier is “a platform for artists to create new work but then also to receive some support”. It is an ever-so-large space that it consists of an art gallery on the first floor. Art studios take up five floors and a penthouse above it all is where some of the artists reside. “A great deal of [the artists] are very much influenced by social and political subject matters, by [their] surroundings, by blackness, by the black experience, [and are very interested in] documenting this era that they’re in,” observes Tshabalala.
She is also a founder of Collective UNTITLD, which she describes as an “artist-led initiative [that] collaborates with a variety of artists” whose works have gone on to be showcased in art events such as the Turbine Art Fair between 2019 and 2022. Having catapulted the careers of a fair share of our myriad of uniquely talented artists in South Africa, including Tshabalala herself, we can look forward to the many creative wonders the Collective UNTITLD has in store.
In her artistic practice, Tshabalala is exploring ideas around identity as it is etched onto people, especially women, by society. She is uncovering the identity of the self as it is felt from within. She is also reconciling the two elements of socio-cultural and socio-political versus individual formations of identity. For instance, as Tshabalala said, “if you're black and you're a woman, it's so difficult to have any conversation around your identity without it becoming so political. [This political discourse] has been the context in which [people] are defined, and there is no room for [individuals] to search for [their own] ideas to being a human and to expand [their] sense of self”.
She is interested in notions of womanhood, personhood as one understands them for ourselves, beyond the gamut of political and academic talk. Yet, she also acknowledges and embraces the interconnectedness of our cultures with our personal selves, stating: “I also admire the importance of surrendering and becoming an active member of society, owning up to your dharma” and that “it's important to also understand that you have, to an extent, responsibility to your society, to your elders, to your culture” even in your freedom of self.
Captions
1. Mbali Tshabalala, Presence of Self at the Table of Us AP, 2021, mixed media, 56 cm x 39 cm. Featured in the Ever-Present Shift exhibition at the Turbine Art Fair 2022, Gallery2.
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3. Mbali Tshabalala, Umfazi, 2022, acrylic on paper, 158 cm x 208 cm. Featured in the Ever-Present Shift exhibition at the Turbine Art Fair 2022, Gallery2.
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