To commemorate Women’s Month in South Africa, an exhibition titled Layers of a Black Transgender Woman presented & curated by Transgender Activist Yaya Mavundla opened on Saturday the 14th of August at Constitution Hill’s Women’s Jail. The exhibition supported by Constitution Hill, Access Chapter 2 and Ingram’s is set to create a conversation of inclusivity, showcasing different layers of women, a conversation of gender politics and identity, redefine being a woman, and validate transgender women as women in a form of art, in their own terms.
This groundbreaking exhibition features black transgender women who are in the media and in the forefront of transgender visibility in South Africa. The three women are Moja Love’s The Way Ngingakhona Reality Star Tholang Motshumi, Miss South Africa top 30 finalist Lehlogonolo Machaba and Mzansi Magic’s Becoming Reality TV Star/Award winning Transgender activist Yaya Mavundla.
Mavundla have collaborated with a South African photographer Terra Dick who captured the three women in their own terms and a Nigerian illustrator Chukwudi Udoye who was billed to interpret the images for this groundbreaking exhibition. The overall exhibition consists of 12 images with original images by Terra Dick exhibited alongside the interpreted version by Chukwudi Udeye.
The exhibition that will run for a month long at the historical Constitution Hill’s Woman’s Jail will be open to the public and will have insightful conversations by black Transgender women from all works of lives to enrich the diversity of black women, celebrating their differences as women and share their personal stories and journey.
“My agender is to address issues of black transgender women in SA, create space for inclusion and further say Transgender women are women and it important to get that message across during women’s month where South Africa is celebrating women’s month, this is to make sure that I use my platform to make sure that transgender women are respected as women and are deserving of same spaces as all women and further be given the same opportunities as all the women” says Yaya Mavundla.
This exhibition will include sensitisation of the media, government departments such as police, health, home affairs and education where black Transgender women faces challenges the most, more informed community about the struggles of Black Transgender women, pronouns, importance of inclusivity and understanding gender identity and politics. This will happen through dialogues that will happen weekly. Each week will have a different topic where all the above mentioned targeted departments will be invited to attend.
Layers of a Black Transgender Woman exhibition open at Constitution Hill’s Women’s Jail from the 14th of August until the 14th of September 2021 with the support from Constitution Hill and Ingram’s.
