CAN’T TOUCH MY HAIR

It’s my sacred space It’s my pride It’s part of my soul And you’ll never understand It’s my song One only I can sing One only I know the words to Can’t touch my hair With it, carries generational stories Stories that were never recited out loud Only by gesture Some painful Some joyous Some full of shame But I embrace all of them anyway Can’t touch my hair Through my hair I get to show off my ancestors wildest dreams Me I am their wildest dreams. – R.R.Moleleki

MELANIN IS A MEMORY

A photography exhibition that features portraits of South African women, capturing a moment in their free, equal, strong, and stronger lives. The subject explored by the author has its roots in her own inner world, in experiencing remoteness, from an ungrateful Eurocentric position but nevertheless adopting a necessary worldly view. The portraits are disassociated from this world black-and-white, yet simultaneously exactly the same when viewed by the colourblind.

The artist has opted for a unique and symbolic photographic medium – cotton – making the photographs even more organic and natural. The cotton fabric on which the photographs are printed hearkens to one of many memories of styles such as the illustrious cornrows, a hairstyle resembling African pride and heritages from those who came before, cornrows which are of African origin are now common throughout the world. But this hairstyle is steeped in the history of insurrection and redemption. In this memory the wool attached on the photographs symbolizes this not only visually but in a tangible manner for the audience to see and feel.

The artist further brings awareness by portraying black women's hair exposing media beauty ideologies through this series and their position in modern society. The present and the past have the ability to come together in the showcased photographs as the rebellion of strong women wishing to lighten all of life’s colours. The passion of life under the Equator and their perception of the world is completely different from ours in terms of their constant struggle and fight for their rights. Their memory is melanin, the colour of submission, which should and needs to be visible and displayed with pride in today’s world – in light of our everyday, global circumstances seen in the rebellion of women and images, from raised fists to cutting their hair short.

How can we experience our memories when we don’t even create any by constantly acquiescing and agreeing to consensus? The artist’s story, recounted through portraits from that other world, continues to draw attention to past memories, alerting to and examining the following question – Can you truly call yourself human if you fail to recognise your loved one in the colours of your memory? – Neža Pavšič, Robert Moleleki

Johannesburg - South Africa, April 2022

Photo exhibition MELANIN IS A MEMORY at Saint Barbara Gallery Idrija, Slovenia – November 2022 and at Victoria Yards, Johannesburg, South Africa - February 2023

Co-production: Ivanka Nikolaj Gallery / Municipality of Idrija

Models: Akhona Mkhonza / Sade Okoro / Nthabiseng Moriri / Boitumelo Rametsi