Mary Sibande: I Came Apart at the Seams

Watch a film with Mary Sibande, one of South Africa’s most prominent contemporary artists. Her exhibition I Came Apart at the Seams is at Somerset House until 5 Jan 2020. We invited a group of British women working with textiles and fabrics to have a conversation with Mary about her work and practice.

In her first solo exhibition in the UK, Mary Sibande presents a series of photographic and sculptural works exploring the power of imagination and constructive anger in shaping identities and personal narratives in a post-colonial world.

I Came Apart at the Seams follows the transformative journey of Sibande’s avatar, Sophie. Taking form as a series of colourful human-scale sculptures modelled on Sibande herself, Sophie transgresses from her humble beginnings as a domestic housemaid into myriad empowered characters, transcending racial bias and marginalisation. Iterations of these striking installations are also captured in vibrant large-scale photography, documenting Sophie’s journey. Through these works, Sibande pays homage to the generations of women in her family who worked as domestic labourers. In sharing their previously untold stories, Sibande challenges stereotypical depictions of Black women in post-apartheid South Africa throughout history and today.

Mary Sibande's I Came Apart at the Seams is the seventh exhibition in The Charles Russell Speechlys Terrace Rooms Series, an ongoing partnership with the leading law firm to present a wide range of free exhibitions reflecting the broad interests of both organisations.

Film commissioned by Somerset House.
Assistant Producer: Harriet Thomas
Set Designer: Aeri Yoo
Set Dresser: Emily Ioannou
Additional Camera: Matthew Somerville
Sound Recordist: Antonio Muggianu
Dubbing Mixer: Elliot Bulley
Colourist: Danny Davis
Editor: Mdhamiri Nkemi
Director of Photography: Tom Swindell
Produced and Directed: Andy Mundy-Castle