December 02, 2021 - December 05, 2021
Afriart Gallery is proud to present a solo booth by Sungi Mlengeya at the gallery's debut participation at Art Basel Miami Beach. 'Unsettled Minds' is series of works which tries to explore what womanhood means to the artist’s muses – and how that translates to others. Freedom being centre stage in her work, the artist has always wanted to see the people in her work in a liberal light, and by honouring the same spirit felt the need to explore these women’s freedom in giving their own meanings to femininity even if these meanings were contradictory. This work is a step forward in empathizing and understanding what those around her want and practice as women, no matter what these values are, a step further into being liberal, letting others stumble into their own paths and truths.
The five paintings in the series are Huru, Mdoli, In Tune, Chipua and Play. The subjects in their varying poses portray diverse interpretations and fulfillment in being women; from compliance of expectations and obligations to discovery and self-awareness, experimentation and growth, caregiving and entertaining. Over this diverse pot of ideologies is the importance of co-existence with each other’s definitions, as well as our past and present understanding of it, allowing ourselves and others the freedom to define and redefine it as much as needed in retrospect to changes that take place in our lives.