“Radical Makazi (makazi meaning ‘aunt’ in isiXhosa) is a character inspired by my Aunt’s story, intersecting with my own stories and those of other women.”

An ongoing project by Thandiwe Msebenzi, Radical Makazi unfolds as a series of chapters that were first published on Instagram in late 2020 as a collection of images accompanied by texts.

Told through these short narratives, the story of Radical Makazi is an archive of Apartheid history that documents the strategies of resistance by Black women, whose contributions to the Struggle are often marginalised and reduced to the supporting roles of motherhood or marriage. Chronicling the various acts of her resistance, Radical Makazi punches through the margins that have rendered her invisible, and in doing so she adds to the history of revolutionary women in South Africa.

Exhibited as a singular project for the first time, the chapters are presented in the form of video, photography and installation respectively.

Chapter Two
Opening 28 July, and on view through 6 August

Chapter One
Opening 11 August, and on view through 20 August

Chapter Three
Opening 25 August, and on view through 3 September