Senzeni Mthwakazi Marasela
Failing
Failing by Senzeni Mthwakazi Marsela is part of a series of works that symbolize the journey of the artist’s alter-ego, Theodorah on her search for her husband, Gebane. This textile work is composed of a plaid mohair shawl onto which rectangular shapes are embroidered alongside many long strands of red yarn, falling towards the floor and overtaking the plaid fabric underneath. This work marks the point in Theodora’s journey where the red dress, representative of her fidelity to her husband as she awaits his return, begins to come undone. Gebane fails to keep his promise of return and as a result, the work depicts red wool pouring out of the fabric, signifying a transformation. Like the red dress, a symbolic statement in Marasela’s earlier work, Failing is largely composed of the same red color, becoming a clear leitmotif in Marsela’s oeuvre. At this juncture in Theodorah’s narrative, she has been patiently waiting for her husband’s return, in an attempt to fulfill societal expectations of her as a wife. This work marks the turning point between Theodorah’s waiting and the search for her husband that will ensue. A relatable narrative for many South African women whose husbands leave home in search of better economic opportunities to support their families, these women either choose or are forced into a position of waiting. Waiting for Gebane addresses the struggles of these black women as it relates to dependency upon their husbands, as well as provokes the apex of the African dream, the broken promises, and the lasting legacies.
Senzeni Mthwakazi Marasela’s artistic practice uses a variety of mediums and materials to document and communicate the experiences of the artist’s alter ego, Theodorah Mthetyane. Also the artist’s mother’s name, Theodorah intentionally represents the collective lives and struggles of many South African black women and their legacies alike. A recurring focus in Marsela’s work considers the action of waiting and the multiplicity bound up in this experience. Waiting is a tedious state of in-betweenness, marked by a dependency on what’s to come, but it is also inextricably bound up in hopefulness. Transgressing from the static state of waiting, Marasela’s work moves into the action of searching, symbolizing agency, but also the failure of results to progress from the previous state of waiting.