Ndiyayekelela

Nobukho Nqaba

2016

Ndiyayekelela (Letting go) embodies the artist’s struggle to come to terms with the loss of her father - a migrant worker in the rural Eastern Cape, where Nqaba was raised. Using symbolic materials that recall her past, Nqaba battles with feelings of guilt, fondness, and confusion - reinforcing her physical presence. The artist’s movements - together with the carefully selected materials - conjure up old memories, bringing them to life through photography.

The workers' overalls and blankets (used in poor communities) tell the story of many South Africans - defined by their role in the working class. Much like the bags in 'Umaskhenkethe Likhaya Lam', the overalls and blankets represent the impermanence of home space, and the search to find comfort in the familiar: to carry a part 'home' with you, and to come to grips with the burden of its weight. Continuing the conversation on migrancy, Nqaba physically confronts and challenges (the value of) the materials, which in turn take on their own agency.

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  • Zola III

  • Ndinikezele

  • Zola I

  • Undibizela kuwe IV

  • Ndisilwa I

  • Ndisilwa II

  • Ndisilwa III

  • Undibizela kuwe II

  • Undibizela kuwe III

  • Ndikhangela wena

  • Undibizela kuwe I

  • Guquka

  • Zola II

  • Noxa ukwelemimoya, uyandisinda

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