Photography Exhibition Tony Gum, Ode to She

Aptly titled, Ode to She, this series of photographs by South-African visual activist Tony Gum, currently the subject of an exhibition at Christopher Moller Gallery in Cape Town (South Africa) contains explorations, discoveries and understanding of the teachings by her elders of what it means to be a Xhosa woman. Defined by the photographer as “a letter to self, a poem and song, a calling”; the series is presented as an intimate still life; a human encounter with the artist. The work sets a narrative that illustrates a message that as the viewer, you are allowed to depict as your emotions encourage. Gum’s innate desire to learn and to articulate what she has learnt also allows the work to form academic opinion on the subject and further engage that thesis with inclusions of elements such as modern distractions, like smart phones, to extend the story and in a somewhat polite manner, turn the mirror on the viewer to allow them to ask themselves questions such as “am I like that too?”. “I believe in honouring our individual truths,” says Tony Gum. “Our ability to pause, reflect, connect and celebrate that which makes each of us whole means we are better placed to recognize and respect this essence in others.”

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