(One of the
fascinating works on show)
Jetteke de Vries's Discovering Home exhibition has just opened at the KZNSA Gallery.
It explores the concept of home and what it means to belong. The
artist takes us on a journey of identity and belonging which is captured in the
lives and narratives of three generations of female protagonists.
“This exhibition centres on the concept of home and what it
means to belong,” explains de Vries. “This journey of identity and belonging is
captured in the lives and narratives of three generations of female
protagonists. The catalyst for this exhibition was the discovery of my own dislocated
identity after immigrating to the Netherlands at the age of thirteen. I
discovered that my mother and my grandmother had suffered a similar trauma in
that their identities were also fractured and dislocated due to moving between
Southern Africa and the Netherlands throughout their lives.
“The work is linked to memories of the protagonists; it is
rooted in my mother’s memories of her mother and my memories and perceptions of
my grandmother and my mother,” she adds. “Researching my family’s history of
dislocation revealed a wealth of stories and imaginings that I was unaware of.
An exploration of the cultural dislocation of three generations of women in my
family became the guiding force for this body of work. Spanning this body of
work to include three generations gives me the opportunity to reflect on how
time and space affects identity and the type of dislocation that is felt. Even
though the three protagonists share a sense of cultural dislocation, the
circumstances and extent of this dislocation was different for each
protagonist. The type of dislocation
that occurs is dependent on a particular time and the geographical space each
protagonist inhabited.
“The exhibition juxtaposes Southern Africa and the
Netherlands in an inter-personal cultural context. Culture and identity are
inextricably linked concepts and I investigate the difficulties experienced by
the protagonists in their pursuit of negotiating what it means to have a
dislocated cultural identity.”
Discovering Home runs until November 16. The KZNSA Gallery is situated at 166 Bulwer Road,
Glenwood, in Durban. More information on 031 277 1703, fax 031 201 8051 or cell
082 220 0368 or visit www.kznsagallery.co.za
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