Turiya Magadlela in group show:
The Poetry in Between: South – South 2015
Janaury 20 until February 28
Goodman Gallery, Cape Town
My Womb is at Fault 4, 2014.
About:
From Kaffersheet Seies, 2013.
Johannesburg-based artist Turia Magadlela uses common cloths, from pantyhose to sheeting and correctional service uniforms. By stretching and folding these materials across wooden frames, Magadlela creates abstract compositions. Grouped on the wall these frames make up soft, sometimes translucent large-scale panel reminiscent of Abstract Expressionist paintings — the ragged edges and tears replace the brushmarks but like paintings they are varnished and sized.
From Kaffer Sheet Series, 2014.
For her most recent body of work, Kaffersheet, Magadlela juxtaposes the traditional Xhosa cloth of the same name, with prison uniform cloth. She states:
“‘Kaffersheet’ is the name of the traditional Xhosa cloth, normally white or cream, you can buy at any fabric shop. I use it as a tittle for this series. For me it represents the clothing of Xhosa kings and queens.
Xhosa kings, chiefs and prophets, Langalibalele (imprisoned at Robben Island), Makhanda (Makana or Nxele) (imprisoned at Robben Island), Ndlambe, Hintsa, Maqoma, Phalo, Sandile, Makhondo, Nonqhawusa (imprisoned at Robben Island), etc., are some of the leaders that were imprisoned in the 1800s. Today, prisons are full of thieves, and ordinary people like me and you. Many of us would be in jail if the officials saw all the crimes we do daily, we are out of jail because we haven’t been caught yet … You can either sleep in your Woolworth sheets or in prison sheets; one can never tell of a time when physical freedom is lost. So with thoughts of all criminals since the 1800s, I paint these sheets.”
Matla, 2013-2014.
After matriculating from the National School of the Arts, Turiya Magadlela (b.1978) studied at the Funda Community College under Charles Nkosi, the University of Johannesburg, and the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam. She has had solo exhibitions at Museum Africa and the Goethe Institut (as part of her JAG/Goethe institute young artist award 2003). Select group exhibitions include blank projects in Johannesburg, Ithuba Arts Gallery, Johannesburg, When Form Becomes Attitude, blank projects, Cape Town, The Grote Oversteek at the Stedelijk Museum and exhibitions at the FNB Joburg Art Fair 2013, Art Cologne/NADA 2013, Generator’s Art Space, Activate Architects and the ABSA Atelier exhibition 2001. Turiya currently lives and works in Johannesburg, South Africa.
My Womb is at Fault 5, 2014.
Courtesy: Blank Projects SA.