Mary Sibande at Somerset House

South African artist Sibande combined a sculptural approach with fashion to communicate ideas of femininity and ‘blackness’ at Somerset house, I was influenced by her wearable designs bringing forward connotations of confinement and danger to me as a viewer. The vine like winding structure seemed comforting as well as having feelings of entrapment attached. The use of one colour: purple, for the entirety of some of her pieces, to her, was to depict ideas of uniform and family history of being maids for white families.

The harsh red on black in the other piece of hers stood out to me as it reinforced the seriousness of the messages she is sending through her art. The almost supernatural aspect of her work brings forward this sense of empowerment that runs through the exhibition.