And she was wearing trousers

From the curators

Roberta Joy Rich and Naomi Velaphi

Archives that speak of copper wire, liberation, teachers, linguists and queens, of women who we should know but don’t know, are constructed through colonised frames and histories. The title, translated from lyrics of Dorothy Masuka’s song ‘Nolishwa,’ And she was wearing trousers reimagines the possibilities of African heroines in Southern African history through a series of exchanges of text and dialogue between Southern African artists; between those living on the continent and those from the diaspora. How do we hear of them? What do we learn from them?

A culmination of a series of conversations with women of the African diaspora and those on the continent, we examine how female figures in Southern African histories can serve as entry points into reimagining a Bla(c)k female experience in the past and future. These women are often framed as contentious, yet their contributions to society are influential, equivocal and are important African women’s voices to platform, share and learn from. The power of interpretation and nuance creates a space for tension, discovery and continuity and allows us to creatively explore our relationships with these women, and the proximity we share with them.

Detail of an arched window appearing within a stone colonial era building, has maroon wooden window skirtings. On the window is a vinyl print in black and white, of a many braids making a right angle, and monochrome hands emerging from the braids making a clapping gesture. The sun is hitting the building creating shadows frmo trees not visible on the right side.

Detail of a vitrine with books, text and photograph inside. The books are titled Women Writing Africa: The Southern Region and Women in Southern Africa.

A dark room has a vitrine table in the foreground housing a collection of photos, texts and books, and a film projection of an African woman wearing all white is lying within a rocky environment on the screen.

A dark room has a spotlit timber wood frame structure on the left, with a small monitor screen mounted upon it, faces a large flatscreen monitor on the right that shows an instagram direct message conversation.

A dark room bordered with black curtains and wooden floorboards has installations of pine timber frame structures with speakers mounted within the structure. A video projection hangs above with an abstract drawing in red hues and background with shades of blue.

Installation photos by Jody Haines.

Catalogue Essay

Santilla Chingaipe

Heroines Walk (2022)

As a performance maker, voice is harnessed in this sound installation. Featuring piercing spoken word, the work is a metaphorical ‘Heroines Walk’. A sonic, light and text ritual, conjoining spiritual initiation to a lineage of brave Zimbabwean heroines like that of Mbuya Nehanda, Thenjiwe Lesabe, Yvonne Vera and Queen Lozikeyi.

Detail of a stack of DL print with a poem cascading down the page. The print is a Risograph with pink tones, sitting on a pine wood plinth and in the background out of focus is a wood stand with more prints displayed.

A speak mounted on an angled stand exudes purple light within a darkened room from its base onto wooden floorboards.

These women defied the immeasurable odds of Western Imperialist and patriarchal forces that continue to influence access to silenced voices of Zimbabwe. The multi/dimensional power of a woman tapped into her indigeneity cannot be beaten.

A dark room with a spot lit pine timber frame structure, houses a speaker at its base with purple light shining from below. Behind the structure is a teal colour curved bench that is also under spot light..

Sound installation with speaker and LED lights. Dimensions variable. Duration: 09:05.

Installation views of Heroines Walk at Arts House, 2022.

Credits:

Reuben Lewis: trumpet, pedals, field recordings

Adam Halliwell: electric percussion

Composed, recorded, mixed and produced by Reuben Lewis.

An African woman with short dark hair is wearing a sunflower dress looking left towards a white space.

Tariro Mavondo is a multi-disciplinary storyteller, theatre maker, curator, cultural diversity and performance consultant, performance facilitator, based in Melbourne, working across performing arts, education, government, mental health, law enforcement and social justice. She graduated in 2011 from the Victorian College of the Arts with a Bachelor of Dramatic Arts, and received the Irene Mitchell Award for excellence in her final year. Tariro has co-directed theatre productions that have been seen at the Malthouse Theatre and Arts Centre Melbourne. She was an Australian Poetry Slam National Finalist (2010) and State Finalist (2009), the founder and producer of Africa’s Got Talent (2013–2014) and a founding member of Still Waters African Women’s Storytelling Collective and Centre of Poetic Justice.

Installation photos by Jody Haines.

Santilla Chingaipe

What Mam Dorothy taught me

Public Program

Artist talks and conversations

Naomi Velaphi

An archive; a process

Roberta Joy Rich

Auntie's Curtain

From the curators

Roberta Joy Rich and Naomi Velaphi

Installation photos by Jody Haines.

To get in contact please email naomivelaphi@gmail.com or roberta.joy.rich@gmail.com

And she was
wearing trousers:
a call to our heroines

Tariro Mavondo

Heroines Walk (2022)

And she was wearing trousers: a call to our heroines

Tariro Mavondo

Heroines Walk (2022)

And she was
wearing trousers:
a call to our heroines