Four embroidered T-Shirts make up this contribution by Namibian artist Shomwatala Shivute. Originally from the time around Independence, the artist engaged with them more recently through delicate embroidery. These formed part of the exhibition ‘Finding Memories: an everyday archive of Independence’ which took place online in February 2021. This exhibition was an activation within the Everyday Archive of Independence, which is a digital space for the everyday, family photos and personal memories.
Shivute’s series of four artworks make use of t-shirts from her family cupboards and storage. Slogans on these shirts have at their core a revolutionary tone and promote the struggle for and maintenance of independence. While these t-shirts are from between 20 and 30 years ago, their message reverberates loudly in contemporary Namibia with regard to the struggle for and maintenance of women’s rights and independence.
