Samkela Stamper, the curator of the art exhibition, LABASIKATI: "This Woman's Work". Photos: Supplied
Art lovers in Mbombela are invited to LABASIKATI: “This Woman’s Work”, a homecoming exhibition described as a must-see highlight on the local arts calendar.
Presented at the Mbombela Art Gallery and curated by Samkela Stamper, the immersive exhibition celebrates African women’s stories through a wide range of artistic forms.
Now based in Kaapsehoop, Stamper returns to Mpumalanga after a decade away, studying and developing her curatorial practice, bringing the exhibition home with a focus on memory, identity and creative heritage.
Curator Samkela Stamper.
LABASIKATI is a mixed-media showcase incorporating photography, film, sound, sculpture, printmaking, performance, music and textile art, with strong fashion influences.
Curator Samkela Stamper returns to Mpumalanga with powerful homecoming exhibition Art lovers in Mbombela are invited to LABASIKATI: “This Woman’s Work”, a homecoming exhibition described as a must-see highlight on the local arts calendar. Presented at the Mbombela Art Gallery and curated by Samkela Stamper, the immersive exhibition celebrates African women’s stories through a wide range of artistic forms. Now based in Kaapsehoop, Stamper returns to Mpumalanga after a decade away, studying and developing her curatorial practice, bringing the exhibition home with a focus on memory, identity and creative heritage. LABASIKATI is a mixed-media showcase incorporating photography, film, sound, sculpture, printmaking, performance, music and textile art, with strong fashion influences. The exhibition foregrounds African women’s stories of resistance, resilience and creative power. Inspired by the 1956 Women’s March and South Africa’s cultural heritage, it explores memory, archive and womanhood through a performative installation experience. Stamper, an independent curator, writer, producer and cultural activist, holds a fine art degree from Rhodes University and is currently pursuing a Masters in Curatorial Studies. Her practice spans platforms including the National Arts Festival, Infecting the City Festival, the Afrovibes Festival in the UK and the Michaelis Galleries at the University of Cape Town, where she served as a curatorial fellow at the Institute for Creative Arts in 2022. She was also awarded the Eastern Cape Art and Culture Award for Curating that same year. The exhibition pays tribute to pioneering artists such as Esther Mahlangu, Gladys Mgudlandlu and Noria Mabasa, while also creating space for emerging women artists, young designers and first-time exhibitors. Directed by Nontokozo Phiri, with contributions from Lethabo Mashego and assistant curator Surprise Thabethe, LABASIKATI also incorporates communal storytelling through food, live performance and music. LABASIKATI: “This Woman’s Work” runs from May 30 to June 19, with an opening reception on May 30 at 16:00 for 16:30, and walkabouts on May 31. #samkelastamper#artgallery#womensart#mbombela
The exhibition foregrounds African women’s stories of resistance, resilience and creative power. Inspired by the 1956 Women’s March and South Africa’s cultural heritage, it explores memory, archive and womanhood through a performative installation experience.
Art lovers in Mbombela are invited to LABASIKATI: “This Woman’s Work”, a homecoming exhibition described as a must-see highlight on the local arts calendar. Presented at the Mbombela Art Gallery and curated by Samkela Stamper, the immersive exhibition celebrates African women’s stories through a wide range of artistic forms. Now based in Kaapsehoop, Stamper returns to Mpumalanga after a decade away, studying and developing her curatorial practice, bringing the exhibition home with a focus on memory, identity and creative heritage. LABASIKATI is a mixed-media showcase incorporating photography, film, sound, sculpture, printmaking, performance, music and textile art, with strong fashion influences. The exhibition foregrounds African women’s stories of resistance, resilience and creative power. Inspired by the 1956 Women’s March and South Africa’s cultural heritage, it explores memory, archive and womanhood through a performative installation experience. Stamper, an independent curator, writer, producer and cultural activist, holds a fine art degree from Rhodes University and is currently pursuing a Masters in Curatorial Studies. Her practice spans platforms including the National Arts Festival, Infecting the City Festival, the Afrovibes Festival in the UK and the Michaelis Galleries at the University of Cape Town, where she served as a curatorial fellow at the Institute for Creative Arts in 2022. She was also awarded the Eastern Cape Art and Culture Award for Curating that same year. The exhibition pays tribute to pioneering artists such as Esther Mahlangu, Gladys Mgudlandlu and Noria Mabasa, while also creating space for emerging women artists, young designers and first-time exhibitors. Directed by Nontokozo Phiri, with contributions from Lethabo Mashego and assistant curator Surprise Thabethe, LABASIKATI also incorporates communal storytelling through food, live performance and music. LABASIKATI: “This Woman’s Work” runs from May 30 to June 19, with an opening reception on May 30 at 16:00 for 16:30, and walkabouts on May 31.
Stamper, an independent curator, writer, producer and cultural activist, holds a fine art degree from Rhodes University and is currently pursuing a Masters in Curatorial Studies.
Her practice spans platforms including the National Arts Festival, Infecting the City Festival, the Afrovibes Festival in the UK and the Michaelis Galleries at the University of Cape Town, where she served as a curatorial fellow at the Institute for Creative Arts in 2022.
She was also awarded the Eastern Cape Art and Culture Award for Curating that same year.
The exhibition pays tribute to pioneering artists such as Esther Mahlangu, Gladys Mgudlandlu and Noria Mabasa, while also creating space for emerging women artists, young designers and first-time exhibitors.
Directed by Nontokozo Phiri, with contributions from Lethabo Mashego and assistant curator Surprise Thabethe, LABASIKATI also incorporates communal storytelling through food, live performance and music.
LABASIKATI: “This Woman’s Work” runs from May 30 to June 19, with an opening reception on May 30 at 16:00 for 16:30, and walkabouts on May 31.
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