Page 47 - Flaunt 175 - Diana

paradise looks different to everyone. some think of palm
trees and sunshine, while for others, paradise is a moun- taintop view or a crystalline beach. For some, it’s long afternoons in the garden. The constant? The word ‘paradise’ describes an idyllic state. In her first ever solo exhibition, Enter Paradise, artist Zandile Tshabalala puts her paradise to canvas. Currently on display at ADA / contemporary gallery in Accra, Ghana, the exhibition poses the question: is there such a thing as paradise in the mundane activities of everyday life?
Tshabalala, 21, is hastily making a name for herself through reimagined cultural representation, reasserting Black women’s voices in her paintings by placing her subjects in powerful positions. The work seeks to explore the many aspects of cultural storytelling that have not been addressed, and therein preserved, for future generations. “My art delves particularly into the duality of the Black woman as both an individual like any other,” Tshabalala shares, “and in its specificities as a socially defined perso- na—through its strengths and its vulnerabilities.”
Tshabalala, who was born in Soweto, South Africa, has previously participated in a number of group shows and hopes to have her works seen physically by as many people in as many parts of the world as possible. She continues to describe a creative process that strives to counter historical
depictions by which Black women were seen as only being capable of serving, of subserviently and endlessly bearing the toughest situations, of being inferior and marginalized. For Tshabalala, the painter and subject is in control of her own body, as well as the gaze exchanged between the sub- ject and viewer. The artist shows that we are diverse people who are capable of love, of leading, of being assertive, and also of being vulnerable. We are capable of enjoying our own presence, of resting and enjoying the finer things that life has to offer.
Like many, the pandemic has allowed Tshabalala time for reflection. While her biggest current goal remains the completion of her fine arts degree, this period challenged her to think about, and find, paradise of her own—the assembly of a utopia out of the most mundane activities and spaces. “Observing and reflecting led me to a different kind of paradise that is always present but often overlooked,” Tshabalala shares. “It is the exhale and the moments of simple leisure. Anything that is not too out of the ordi- nary—these moments can be found in the most ordinary activities, like getting lost in a novel, having a moment to put my feet up, dancing. These are the moments on which
I have decided to focus, in which I find paradises. I have reflected and depicted my own paradise and hope that the viewer does the same.”
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ZANDILE TSHABA- LALA. “STUDY OF A NUDE (SELF)” (2021). ACRYLIC ON CANVAS. 90CM X 120CM. COURTESY OF THE ARTIST.