25 Million Stitches

This project was started by Jennifer Kim Sohn from Sacramento. My participation (besides being compulsive) was completed in December 2019, De Doorns. I feel a great sense of walking and connecting the footprints between the words of Weihnachten, celebration, family and goodwill. Again I try to stitch in as many conversations around the landscape, refugees and the migration of families, after all, I am the child of a migrant.

The embroidery on cotton measuring 168 cm x 22 cm is called 'Fight or Flight'

And is meant to be 'read' from right to left.

'Mindfull Stitching' is about recording thoughts and anxiety around the safety of 6,7 million refugees from Syria, from Afghanistan there are 2,7 million people migrating, and in Myanmar the records shows 1,1 million people in panic and fear. From Somalia we hear of 900,000 people on the move and another 720,000 from the Sudan region. The Republic of Congo makes up the last of the current total of 720,300 refugees mostly coming to South Africa.

And sending the parcel to Sacramento in the next week to be part of the exhibition for Refugee Day 20 June 2020.

Our first full installation will be at the Verge Center for the Arts, 625 S Street, 
Sacramento, CA
June 5–August 15, 2020
Opening Reception: Friday, June 5, 5–7pm
https://www.25millionstitches.com

Saterdag 21/12/2019

Dis Saterdag, ek hoef nie my ma te bel nie, want ek sit oorkant haar in die kombuis by die reeds uitgetrekte eetkamertafel. Nichola kom môre kuier, die tafel is reeds sedert Donderdag gereed vir die oudste kleinkind wat kom kuier. So ook het die menu vir die aandete reeds 11 keer verander. Go with the flow is al wat ek vir myself sê. Ons gesels terwyl sy konfyt kook. My suster die koningby het 'n hele bak pruime van 'n vriendin se tuin saamgebring. Dis baie mooi pruime en weeg presies 1 kilo dus het ons 1 kilo suiker nodig en 'n bietjie suurlemoen skil. Ek het Donderdag oggend daarin geslaag om 1 suurlemoen te kry by die spar sonder om 'n plastiek sakkie by te kry! Het met die prys van R 4,02 op my hand rondgeloop in die winkel agter my ma aan wat camenbert soek. Elke slag as sy na my hand kyk sê sy: 'dis darem baie duur vir een suurlemoen'.  Ek sê dis vir die gin en haloumi! Natuurlik later in die dag toe die koninginby vanaf haar vriendin terug kom was sy by Woolworths en het volgens my ma sommer die heel boomvol suurlemoene saamgebring. Wat moet sy nou maak met so baie suurlemoene, veral dis seisoentyd in die vallei en mens kan nie die suurlemoen weggooi nie want dit trek die vrugtevlieg aan. Dan is al die uitvoerdruiwe in hulle moer! Eintlik my pa se woord, maar aangesien hy nie daar is nie voel ek verplig om in te staan vir sy mooi woorde! Ek probeer die gesprek draai na die konfyt, want ek moet nou soveel leer as moontlik.

Dis 1 jaar en 7 maande. Ons tel nog steeds die maande af. So asof die merk van tyd sal help. Om bietjie die hartseer te verdoesel. Die suiker moet eers warm gemaak word voor mens dit by die reeds gekookte pruime sit. Ek help met roer en die tyd aftel. Ons sit bietjie konfyt in die vrieskas om te kyk of dit reg is na 24 minute se kook. Die vrieskas is vol, want as die koninginby kom is daar altyd te veel kos. Asook daar is nooit genoeg ys nie, 'want die Britte kan darem drink!': my ma se woorde.  'Ek vervies my so, want nou as ek die bottels uitsit vir die re-cycling dink almal seker ek drink so baie'. Terug by die konfyt, dis reg en die kleur is so mooi! Ek gaan stort en was hare, weens die water te kort was ons elke 2de dag en was hare elke 4de dag! En omdat ek gisteraand die braaier van vleis was ruik my hare soos vuur! Ek kom uit na presies 90 sekondes alles skoon vars en vrolik en die konfyt is al klaar gebottel. Dis nou eers agtuur in die oggend en die konfyt is reg. Dis darem beter as om te bel vanaf Johannesburg en dan te hoor van al die voortreflikhede in De Doorns. Die 3 bottels staan so mooi en die oggedlig val daadeur!

Toby maak die koninginby wakker en sy is weer in een van daardie buie waar alles volgens haar moet reg verloop en op tyd gebeur, Ek kry so 3 bevele en natuurlik vergeet ek van die helfte. Aangesien dit my kinders is wat kom moet ek beddens regmaak. Sy doen dit eintlik om ons aandag af te trek van al die bottels! Want wat my ma nie weet van al die bottels nie is dat ons dit wegsteek en dan moet ek soggens dit in die kar se boot laai sodat ons dit  stilletjies wegry na die recycling toe.  

Two cloths

I worked on two cloths in Loxton for an exhibition with Sally Rumball for her Smalls Exhibition in December 2019. It is about talking softly in local languages from the Bo-Kaap to Namaqualand.

Sagkens in Loxton

With the help of EWT and Ingrid Schöffman we were invited to Loxton in November to be part of a renewable energy strategy with the support from UNDP. This triangle of partnerships created an extraordinary series of interesting and unique works of art. With the team from LAHRN form Hillbrow we got onto the Greyhound bus with 147 kilogram of luggage and arrived early morning in Victoria-West. Everyone settled in at the Aarthuis and we met with the other teams and old friends.

This visit highlighted the feral cat problem in Loxton and we soon discovered several cats and a mom with 4 little ones. This raises several problems as feral cats do have an impact on the small mammal and reptile population as well as the fact that they are breeding, they might bring illness to other pets. This is not an issue that anyone person can tackle alone and we will try to find a solution soonest with a vet in Victoria West.

The programme included singing dancing, drumming,  and performances with a string theme of tree conservation, energy usage and connecting with each other as to ensure a cleaner environment. On Saturday several activities including green hand painting with Peta Brookes and beautiful performances with the children led to singing and exploring own creative expressions.  

       
Thank you to Adrian Tony and Nonsikelelo Dhlomo for all your effort and hard work to keep us all together and make it work for the children.

Lesley Mosweu and Hope Mwenda to keep all our energy focussed and smiles on all the children's faces.

Hillbrow

In 2008 I created the first white flag for Hillbrow and have since created many as a call to peace, justice and reconciliation. Here is the story of the white flag by Johannes Cladders:

Johannes Cladders wrote the following about the white flag: 
"It consists of a piece of fabric or any other comparable material. 
Its dimension and shape can be described objectively. ... 
The white flag means freedom.Oct 18, 2012

For some reason many of the other white flags dissapeared but this one, the first one torn and damage appears loyally every year to be shown proudly and with meaning. Last night, although 3 days too late, we managed the last sunset at the Scottish Horse Memorial with Hope Mwenda, Nonsikelelo Dhlomo, Adrian Tony aka Smurf and Lelsey Motsweu.

Reflecting moments Loxton

Waiting for the moon to rise, conversations with meaningful people and the land without water is just a few moments that affects all of us deeply...it is important to feel the silence...walk the land and re-connect with the soles of our feet to the earth. These are not measurable, cannot be calculated with an M&E, does not fit into a Log Frame. Yet, these are the only things perceived to matter. Development of the self,  learning perspectives, understanding the world we live in cannot be measured in words or figures.

'Postcards in Time – Loxton'

In September I re-visited Loxton 'Die Huis van Tyd' and the Riverine Rabbit Thinking Path. I installed the postcard cloths in the house...and the sterfjas.

Die gedig 'Die Sterfjas' van Melanie Grobler in 2017 deur Andrew van der Merwe op geskryf teen 'Die huis van Tyd' se mure. Gedurende 2018 het ek weer gewerk aan 'Die Huis van Tyd' gedurende 'n residensie en het poskaarte gemaak van my tyd daar in Mei Maand. In September het ek die poskaarte van materiaal opgehang in die 'Huis van Tyd'...die proses die maak, die gesprek gaan voort...tot nog 'n keer...

Letters from Lesra

Hurricane by Bob Dylan

During the 1960 with severe segregation laws still in place, USA, a young sportman called Rubin Carter a.k.a. the Hurricane was apprehended for the double murder in New Jersey. He was sentenced despite the evidence not adding up, despite a near dead eye witness saying it is not him, despite timelines not adding up.

Bob Dylan wrote a song in 1976 called the Hurricane...

'Pistol shots ring out in the barroom night
Enter Patty Valentine from the upper hall
She sees the bartender in a pool of blood
Cries out, "My God, they killed them all!"
Here comes the story of the Hurricane
The man the authorities came to blame
For somethin' that he never done
Put in a prison cell, but one time he could-a been
The champion of the world'

During 1980 a young man from Queens, called Lesra Martin bought his book whilst living in Toronto, Canada. 'The Sixteenth Round' was written in jail by Rubin Carter and Lesra read it passionately. On the 20th September 1980 a letter arrived for Rubin Carter in jail. The following is how the letter started:

Dear Mr. Rubin Carter,

I read your book, and I really felt sad...about what happened to you.                I want you to know how much your book meant to me.

Rubin Carter answered this young man as his story inspired him:
"Everything I lost...that really matters, I lost at the hands of white folks.                  I know what you mean, but they ain't all bad.

This started a correspondence that lead to the release of Rubin Hurricane Carter in 1985.

I created this artwork as a response to the song, the story and the injustice which sticks to us as people in this century, the traces of injustice embedded in theDNA of the people we disregarded. 

1001 Stories-Winter in Algeria by Ellen Rogers

Book 3 1001 Stories

The third book follows Victorian women working in factories in contrast to Ellen Roger’s own reality. Her criticism of the condition that women live in Algiers, trying to highlight the miserable conditions, as told in a story.

 ‘Hassan-el-Djeninah saw the state of affairs in an instant. The Giaour must be in the chest! He knocked over the wretched black slave like a ninepin, rushed to the chest, and tried to raise the lid. 'The key, woman ! the key !' he cried. 'My lord, I have it not. It is lost ; it is gone to be mended!" Hassan was not a man to be trifled with; the trembling…page 104. 

 

I was 8 years old when my mother gave me a copy of the 1001 Arabian Nights as a book to read as a Christmas gift -1973. Die mooiste verhale uit die Arabiese Nagte vertaal deur Andre Brink en illustrasies van Janusz Grabiański. Initially my mother and I read the book together until I was confident enough to read it by myself. The book was the thickest book I possessed with beautiful drawings and formed much of my adolescent fantasies around romance and love. The mysterious women with veils dressed in beautiful clothing in brilliant colours (as per the illustrations). 

Nothing was more exciting then the following line "En Sjeherazade begin met die volgende verhaal..."