Packer has previously said she has contemplated the devotion and fixation artists put into the process of creating. As such the show’s name is derived from a scripture in the Bible, “All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing”.
By working with the energy of this truth in her work rather than historical fact, Leigh reclaims the narrative and space independent from the timeline of colonialisation. In this way she achieves the eponymous state of “sovereignty”.
As powerful and impactful as Williams’ work was at the time – and as successful as he was as a solo artist – it is in relation to his work and service within the CAM that we can appreciate the movement as an act of political and social change. Through the members own creative talents CAM drove for a better representation of Caribbean life, art and community. Outwardly it reflected the culture of the time; it rebelled against white supremacy in Britain, brought its own flavour from back home and together sought to merge the two – much like the ethos of the Notting Hill Carnival.
Hazoumè states he isn’t just satirising African politicians. His discourse is focused on international figures who embody global corruption. These masks are a nod at the scandal surrounding the Panama and Pandora Papers, wherein offshore wealth was also “masked” by the elites.
In a space where racism and inequality are still challenges, Sekgala captured the disillusionment of “Mandela’s children” who continue living through poverty and deprivation. Yet despite the challenges of their material world and living situation, we see that “home” goes beyond physical limitations and wealth. The empathic and compassionate images the artist leaves behind in this exhibition are the images he wanted the world to remember as South Africa.