Women's Month exhibition shines spotlight on Transgender Women
Layers of A Black Transgender Woman on show at Constitution Hill's Woman's Jail
To commemorate Women’s Month in South Africa, an exhibition titled Layers of a Black Transgender Woman presented & curated by Transgender Activist Yaya Mavundla opened on Saturday the 14th of August at Constitution Hill’s Women’s Jail. The exhibition supported by Constitution Hill, Access Chapter 2 and Ingram’s is set to create a conversation of inclusivity, showcasing different layers of women, a conversation of gender politics and identity, redefine being a woman, and validate transgender women as women in a form of art, in their own terms.
This groundbreaking exhibition features black transgender women who are in the media and in the forefront of transgender visibility in South Africa. The three women are Moja Love’s The Way Ngingakhona Reality Star Tholang Motshumi, Miss South Africa top 30 finalist Lehlogonolo Machaba and Mzansi Magic’s Becoming Reality TV Star/Award winning Transgender activist Yaya Mavundla.
Mavundla have collaborated with a South African photographer Terra Dick who captured the three women in their own terms and a Nigerian illustrator Chukwudi Udoye who was billed to interpret the images for this groundbreaking exhibition. The overall exhibition consists of 12 images with original images by Terra Dick exhibited alongside the interpreted version by Chukwudi Udoye.
Speaking on the partnership, Lauren Burmeister, Ingram's Marketing Manager, says, "Earlier this year, we continued our Ingram's Skin Sessions campaign that drives brave conversations with a focus on unconditionally loving the skin you are in. Layers of a Black Transgender Woman exhibition is a creative extension of that conversation. Inclusivity and diversity are topics that we seek to promote Especially during Women’s Month, when we believe all women should be celebrated and valued equally.", concluded Burmeister.
The exhibition that will run for a month long at the historical Constitution Hill’s Woman’s Jail will be open to the public and will have insightful conversations by black Transgender women from all works of lives to enrich the diversity of black women, celebrating their differences as women and share their personal stories and journey.
"My agenda is to address issues of black transgender women in SA, create space for inclusion and further say Transgender women are women and it important to get that message across during women's month where South Africa is celebrating women's month, this is to make sure that I use my platform to make sure that transgender women are respected as women and are deserving of same spaces as all women and further be given the same opportunities as all the women" says Yaya Mavundla.
This exhibition will include sensitization of the media, government departments such as police, health, home affairs and education where black Transgender women faces challenges the most, more informed community about the struggles of Black Transgender women, pronouns, importance of inclusivity and understanding gender identity and politics. This will happen through dialogues that will happen weekly. Each week will have a different topic where all the above mentioned targeted departments will be invited to attend.
Adding on the importance of supportingthis initiative is Steve Letsike, director of Access Chapter 2, says, " Access Chapter 2 works to advance the human rights of All LGBTI+ people and women and girls in diversity,"
"It is Womxn's month in South Africa and we believe in practicing consciousness raising with an intersectional lens means recognising and listening to difference. When commonalities of all our experiences of misogyny are understood and considered this will lead to a more broader and stronger Womxn's movements that is better equipped to dismantle patriarchal systems that oppressed all of us."
"I believe this exhibition is a lesson to all of us, a template for us to follow and an integration for all to adapt towards, when stories are told by transgender women. We stand to support and build solidarity always." she concluded.
Comments
Post a Comment