Mary Sibande  A Terrible Beauty Is Born (Long Live the Dead Queen Series) 2013 Archival Digital Print
Exhibition
now open

Mary Sibande: I Came Apart at the Seams

THE CHARLES RUSSELL SPEECHLYS TERRACE ROOM SERIES

FREE
03 Oct 2019 – 05 Jan 2020

Mon, Tue, Sat & Sun 10.00-18.00, Wed-Fri 11.00-20.00

Terrace Rooms
South Wing

An exhibition of new and celebrated works from one of South Africa’s most prominent contemporary artists, Mary Sibande.

In her first solo exhibition in the UK, Mary Sibande presents a series of photographic and sculptural works exploring the power of imagination and constructive anger in shaping identities and personal narratives in a post-colonial world.

I Came Apart at the Seams follows the transformative journey of Sibande’s avatar, Sophie. Taking form as a series of colourful human-scale sculptures modelled on Sibande herself, Sophie transgresses from her humble beginnings as a domestic housemaid into myriad empowered characters, transcending racial bias and marginalisation. Iterations of these striking installations are also captured in vibrant large-scale photography, documenting Sophie’s journey. Through these works, Sibande pays homage to the generations of women in her family who worked as domestic labourers. In sharing their previously untold stories, Sibande challenges stereotypical depictions of Black women in post-apartheid South Africa throughout history and today.

Mary Sibande  I Put A Spell On Me  2009  Archival Digital Print  90 x 60 cm  Ed. of 10
Mary Sibande I Put A Spell On Me 2009 Archival Digital Print 90 x 60 cm
Mary Sibande  Living Memory  2011  Archival Digital Print  126 x 87 cm  Ed. of 10
Mary Sibande Living Memory 2011 Archival Digital Print 126 x 87 cm

In partnership with 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair

Mary Sibande's I Came Apart at the Seams is the seventh exhibition in The Charles Russell Speechlys Terrace Rooms Series, an ongoing partnership with the leading law firm to present a wide range of free exhibitions reflecting the broad interests of both organisations.