I think the ultimate act of resistance is self-love
my name is Billie Zangewa and I'm a visual artist based in Johannesburg
specialising in textile work. I explore universal themes, predominantly happening
around the home front; so domestic scenes, so to speak, or what I like to call 'daily feminism'
By putting a focus on the things that women do at home that aren't
seen or appreciated or acknowledged and she's kind of saying you know this is
part of my strength, this is how I keep society moving by doing these things
that nobody sees me doing
Well, you know, I'm a mother now so I don't have that much time. So I have to
make the most of it but I do like to experience the fabric, you know, it's part
of it, of the creative process for me is to be in the space and be immersed in it
Basically when I was in primary school, in Botswana, I think I was about 9
or 10 years old. My best friend at the time, Philippa, came to school one morning
and she was like: 'Billie Billie there's something I really want to show you'
And she pulled out this pencil coloured portrait drawing of Princess Diana and I
know it sounds kitsch to those who don't have the 80s context but she was an
icon for us and it just touched me in a place in my stomach that I can't
identify and I just knew right then and there that I wanted to give people that
feeling that she gave me with her drawing.
I picked up a pencil from that
day on I made the most awful drawings for years and years and years and
everyone laughed at me so I truly believe determination is the recipe
for you know making your dreams come true. I don't think it's really talent at
the get-go
I've always had a strength of character but I think it's also the time that I
was born in the 70s where, you know, women were still struggling and so I
understood very quickly that I would have to be very solid in order to be
able to navigate a patriarchal society where women were treated differently
Johannesburg. I moved to Johannesburg it was in 1997 and I basically moved here
to try and have a career as an artist. I grew up in Botswana and when I graduated
from university I moved back home and I tried my utmost to have a career but
they just weren't enough collectors and there wasn't enough of a support system.
I love the energy of this city and I also like the people here, people are
very open-minded I feel. There's warmth and then there's just that
incredible electric energy which is so inspiring.
When I made the move to
Johannesburg I actually couldn't survive. I mean I ran out of money but I was born
in Malawi so I've seen poverty you know I've been
witness to real suffering so for me that didn't deter me
I used to do
what I call 'cityscapes'. That was the first subject matter, then the images
became things happening to me in the city like failed relationships and being
disappointed by lovers or whatever
So it was very much around the male gaze and then one day I was just like: 'You
know what, I'm tired of seeing myself through somebody else's eyes. I actually
want this thing to just be about me and my experience as an individual.
The next phase, when I was doing deeper self-examination, really kind of begins
with this work which is one of my most iconic works. In this figure
basically, I stand alone, the gestures with my body are very open so you can
see that, you know, this is a person who feels safe they don't have to cover
themselves
Ah Mika! Mika is the love of my life!
That can never change. Other people can come
and go but this is like I made him. He's the fruit of my womb. What can I say?
He also kind of helped me to come into the whole domestic scene, the personal as political
because I wanted to share this incredible experience that I was having
with this little being with the world
So this is really just about the love that
a mother feels for her baby and the most wonderful moment to actually stare at
your baby in awe is when they're sleeping so this is about one such
moment when my son is taking his nap
Home sweet home
So this is the work that I was telling you about 'The Swimming Lesson'
It's the work of my boy at his swimming lesson where he's actually really just
alone trying to navigate the treacherous landscape of emotions
Initially I wanted
it to be a kind of an extension on the domestic scene so it's like the swimming
lesson and then there was supposed to be his teacher over here instructing him on
his next stroke and then I would be somewhere here sitting on a chair just
kind of watching the lesson and waiting. But as I was kind of thinking about the
new phase of life that my son was going through and how difficult the transition
was for him so then I realised that this work was an opportunity for me to
express that moment where, he by himself, had to navigate these waters
This is the my kitchen studio. What I think I really like is the fact that you
know when I'm working and I look there and my son is there and he's playing so
I can actually see him even if I'm immersed. And then also to this
side then I've got nature which just like brings me to a zen space.
My art was kind of self-therapy and silk is a byproduct of transformation so I was
really basically transforming trauma and pain into a beautiful work of art and
like silk is also like this thing that's left behind by a transformation of an
animal. So I really do feel that it really was a case of my material was
waiting for me and that I had a rendez-vous with it
When I started doing my work, I think people didn't really understand the
social issues that I was dealing with because it was so subtle and so it was
really rough. I get to 'Joburg' they say:
'Oh she's just decorative and she's just a craftswoman but when I got to
America they understood that it was about breaking the myth of 'black lives'
We're just like everybody else
I did so well, beyond my expectations,
I had galleries headhunting me. I don't if you head hunt an artist and I got such
incredible press and then I got quite good offers: a show in Paris with Templon
A show in New York with Leiman Mopin. Yes!
I think the work that I'm doing is really just to elevate the place of
Black women in the world because you know we are still like the most
marginalised sector of our society.
The ordinary Black woman needs support from
society and and by creating images around her intimate personal life we're
actually saying: 'listen, look, understand that this person is having
these experiences. That this person exists. She's a woman with everyday struggles
you