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This sweeping showcase charts Williamson's artistic trajectory, from winning the Vita Art Now Award with her first solo exhibition at Goodman in Johannesburg in 1994, to the present. Williamson is an artist with an astonishing ability to weave historical narratives across diverse mediums like printmaking, photography, drawing, embroidery, and installation.
Photo: Courtesy of the artist and Goodman Gallery.
In Short Stories in a Longer Tale, the artist sources news media and archival references to unpack six key moments in South and West Africa's complex and layered history. The Diaries of Lady Anne B dive into the personal papers of Lady Anne Barnard, the wife of the first British Colonial Secretary in charge of the Cape for five years, from 1797. A Scottish travel writer, artist and socialite, Barnard was quite the watercolour artist herself, and also pulled no punches when it came to describing the daily happenings around her, giving us a colourful window into life at that time – from a hangman working outside of her drawing-room window to mutinies at sea.
Photo: Goodman Gallery.
Another series, All Our Mothers, reflects Williamson's admiration for the courageous women who stood up against the apartheid regime. She pays tribute to activists such as Ray Alexander, a dedicated advocate for workers' rights, and Nyameka Goniwe, widow of the late Matthew Goniwe, an influential leader assassinated during the struggle. Williamson's work invites us to connect more deeply with the contributions of these women to South Africa's fight for freedom.
The sudden reappearance of Jacob Zuma in the national arena is marked with Williamson's 2014 artwork, Pass the Parcel, Jacob. This piece was created in response to his controversial rape trial, using newspaper clippings to highlight the stark power imbalances between Zuma and his accuser.
Delving deeper into the continent's history, Williamson's ink drawing series Postcards from Africa reinterprets photographic postcards from the colonial era, emphasising the places and contexts to give them new life and meaning. She creates a thought-provoking invitation to reconsider how we perceive and remember the past.
If you're interested in the intersection of history, social commentary, and art, Short Stories in a Longer Tale is a must-see. The exhibition opens at Goodman Gallery in Rosebank from 10:00 on Sat, Jul 20.
