Senzeni Marasela's Artistic Exploration of Waiting and Memory Through Theodorah's Journey

Senzeni Marasela, hailing from Thokoza, South Africa, earned her BA Fine Arts from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg in 1998. In 2003, she launched the performance piece 'Theodorah comes to Johannesburg,' inspired by her mother Theodorah's 11-hour journey from Mvenyane to Johannesburg, highlighting the trauma endured by black women during apartheid in the 1960s. Adopting her mother as an alter ego, Marasela donned a yellow dress that later featured in her drawings, prints, and thread works, often depicting the figure's back. Her narrative connects with the stories of Sarah Baartman and her own experiences. In 2013, her photographic series 'Ijeremani Lam' portrayed Theodorah's quest for her husband, Gebane Mthetyane, in Johannesburg, referencing Njabulo Ndebele's 2003 novel 'The Cry of Winnie Mandela' and exploring themes of waiting and family fragmentation during apartheid. Marasela’s diverse artistic practice, which includes embroidery, print, video, and performance, delves into the intricacies of waiting, akin to Abderrahmane Sissako's film 'Waiting for Happiness' (2002). Her work has been showcased across South Africa, Europe, and the United States, earning her accolades such as the 2002 Thami Mnyele Scholarship, the 2002 Upstream Award, and the 2008 Ampersand Foundation Fellowship. In March 2015, her profile, curated by Koyo Kouoh of RAW Material Company, Dakar, was featured in ArtReview's FutureGreats series.