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ART EXHIBIT
"A New
Beginning" by Araminta de Clermont
Venue: João Ferreira, 70 Loop St, Cape Town. Tel: (021) 423
5403
Gallery Hours: Tue-Fri : 11:00am to 6:00pm, Sat: 11:00am to 3:00pm
Duration: 29 Sep - 30 Oct 2010
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This body of work, photographed between
July 2009 and August 2010, focuses on recently initiated young Xhosa and
Sotho men living in the townships surrounding Cape Town.
With their families often having found
themselves displaced from rural, historically beleaguered areas like The
Eastern Cape, or Lesotho, (usually for economic reasons) these young men,
living in the marginalized sprawls of urban shack-lands, are holding onto
their own traditions and precious cultures.
For the majority of these young men, the
initiation process is a watershed, an apparent opportunity to start a
fresh new way of being.
For up to 6 months after his time in the
bush, a newly initiated man will wear clothing which denotes his status as
a new man, showing that he has left childhood behind, has gone through the
circumcision process (with all the accompanying challenges) and has
entered a new phase of life, maturity, and responsibility.
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This outward demonstration of an inner
change is a hugely significant part of the process, and a great source of
pride. “It is a great honour to wear these clothes”, said most of the men
photographed. Such outfits also serve to remind the new men to behave
befittingly and respectfully in this period of transition.
Subscribing to certain rigorous
guidelines, (though the styles of the components are left to the
individual’s personal tastes and influences), such attire is instantly
recognizable within a particular culture. “New” Xhosa men, or Amakrwala,
will wear blazers, buttoned up shirts, and hats. Trousers and shoes must
be smart. “New” Sotho men, or Makolwane, will wear traditional blankets,
hats, and beads.
Older men who see the newly initiated man
wearing such an outfit will often stop him in the street to congratulate
him on his new standing. Unknown people will engage with him on a
completely different level than if he were dressed in his normal clothes.
As these suits demand immediate respect, so too do the men wearing them.
These photographs also raise questions
about the validity of a new start, when seen in the context of the
surroundings in which these young men are raised.
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