Crowdfunding

To activate Naoko’s written reflection of her studio visit to Lusaka-based artist Mwaba Chandia, Luyando and Naoko visited Mwaba. Centring around Mwaba's recent “attire” pieces, namely “The Shaker” and “She Carries The Earth”, that use natural materials such as seedpods, they had a conversation on topics including language and alternative way of communication, permanence/impermanence and how to continue producing culture and knowledge, activation of cultural objects, body as a site for exchange and transformation, and so on.

“...I like to think of the body as a site for exchange and transformation (...) in that sense, these objects become keepers, custodians, as well as people of memory, culture and history.” - Mwaba

“...when we think about The Shaker, the emphasis was placed on the female form and, as a woman, I was thinking about my embodied knowledge as a woman.” - Mwaba

“I think what we're doing now is even so important - [having a conversation and] answering these questions, because the object is not meant to be forever (...) but the idea and the activation remains.” - Mwaba

“...from what you're saying, it's almost that intuitive and material-led making makes a reliable or sort of authentic connection to pre-colonial or indigenous ways of knowing.” - Luyando

“...language is a really important tool but this English language is very colonial. How can we move away from this but still connected and still understand or communicate about work correctly?” - Naoko

More conversations to follow. Together we shape knowledge, meanings and relationships. Please join us and stay tuned.