Amazwi Abesifazane, Voices of Women

An archive of South African women's intimate memories expressed in embroidered, appliquéd and beaded cultural documents. As of early 2004 the data base of these pieces, including the cloth, personal information, photo of the artist as well as the story relating to the cloth in the indigenous language and English, contained close to 2000 cloths.

The Amazwi Abesifazane data base has been a minutely planned. Comprehensive strategies will enable us to make the archive available for futur research and give later generations the opportunity to leaarn about the history of the women of South Africa.

2010 PROJECT GOAL:

To acquire 5000 stories and cloths and create a permanent exhibition and educational programme in an appropriate facility in KwaZulu-Natal

Estimated costs 2004-2010:

Discussion	Writing the story	Making the cloth

Exhibitions:

Local:

Durban	A sample of the collection (100 cloths) has been exhibited in Durban, the Durban Art Gallery, African Arts Centre and at the parallel event held by Create Africa South during the World Conference Against Racism at the Thekwini Business Centre in 2001.
Pietermaritzburg	50 framed cloths were exhibited at the Tatham Art Gallery Annexe from 22 November to 1 December 2001.

Abroad:

Europe	Prince Claus Fund, The Hague, The Netherlands
	62 framed pieces exhibited. September-October 2002 Africa Studie Sentrum, Leiden, The Netherlands 62 framed pieces. February to April 2003 Imagine IC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands 62 framed pieces. September - November 2003
Europe	Culturgest, Lisbon, Portugal 50 framed pieces 15-31 May 2004
USA	TAG Art Gallery, Nasheville, Tennessee January 25-March 1, 2003 Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts
	The late Florence, Mdlolo, an Amazwi Abesifazane co-ordinator from Ndwedwe, made 23 embroidered and appliquéd cloths with accompanying stories comprising a book on her life. This book will be published in 2004. They were exhibited at this establishment as one piece in a group exhibition "Co-existence".
	January 22-June 29, 2003
USA Chicago	Betty Rymer Gallery, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois 150 cloths April 23 - July 22, 2004
USA Connecticut	William Benton Museum of Art, Storrs, Connecticut, USA 148 cloths 24 October 2005 to 21 December 2005

Sponsors

• Prince Claus Fund in the Netherlands
• South African Development Fund, based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA
• Royal Netherlands Embassy (in the past)