Beadwork breaks into WAM
BRAAMFONTEIN – The launch of the Beadwork, Art and the Body exhibition at the Wits Art Museum in Braamfontein went off without a hitch and guests received a bit of a culture lesson while they were there.
The subtitle of the exhibition, Dilo Tše Dintši, which means abundance in Pedi, celebrates the abundance and richness of beadwork in Africa. The exhibition is curated by Prof. Anitra Nettleton, chairperson of the Centre for the Creative Arts of Africa, who has been researching towards this exhibition for almost 40 years.
Rosemary Mangope, CEO of the National Arts Council, officially opened the exhibition. “Beadwork, art and the body, dilo tse dintshi, signifies a shift in how beadwork is perceived.” She added that the exhibit, which focuses on South African beadwork, marks the medium’s move into the mainstream of modern art, “away from its produce being perceived merely as trinkets, sold to tourists at curio shops or roadside stalls”.
“This shift does not affect the cultural heritage of beadworks. It brings with it generations of institutional knowledge, and while this knowledge is being shared, beadwork is redefining itself. Beadwork is more than adornment – it is art,” Mangope said.
The exhibition hosts a number of incredibly beautiful, intricate glass beadwork in a variety of forms – as clothes, accessories and even breathtaking chandeliers which are currently being used in the cafeteria of the Wits Art Museum, thanks to the National Arts Council.
Guests who visit this educational exhibition will be able to soak in knowledge about the rich, cultural heritage and tradition behind beadwork and how it is being shifted into the mainstream of modern art.
The Beadwork, Art and the Body exhibition is on at Wits Art Museum until 11 October.
Details: www.wits.ac.za
