/ WYAA’23

Ntokozo Mudau

Cat in the box?

This project explores the idea of individuality. It focuses on what makes each person unique and differentiates them from others. The artwork forms part of an ongoing series titled 'Figures in the Dark,' which was created in 2022-. The project reflects on metaphysical questions about reality and free will, as well as the concepts of space and time. By creating a sculptural cityscape, the passing of time is symbolized. Observing people's movements, life experiences and the experiment of Schrödinger's cat influenced the project,as influences. This work highlights the importance of being true to oneself in a world that often pressures individuals to conform.How the series came about was 

During the Pigeon Co-op group show in 2021 in , there was a distressing incident of my car being broken into during loaddshedding. To cope with the aftermath, the idea of painting the experience emerged as a therapeutic approach. However, considering the dualistic nature of the incident, it was still a traumatic point. The concept evolved from conducting nightwalks and capturing videos, exploring the neighborhood during Load Shedding. These walks took place in complete darkness, where voices could be heard, and there was a lingering sense of vulnerability. The people who ventured out during these times were primarily woman and children heading home. Sometimes only one streetlight was on and we would huddle around it, when we get scared. Although, it didn't matter who or what the person was, female or child. There was the lingering fear that the person might, bring harm in some sort of way. Despite the impending idea of being harmed again, the nightwalks were still a habitual pratice. After weeks and months of nightwalks, a sense of peace and profound experience emerged from walking in the darkness. The aim was to regain power, to take back the night or what was taken, which was done successfully.

This experience manifested as the concept of "Figures in the Dark," as the identities of the individuals encountered during these walks remained concealed and unknown.