Where Are We Now?

It's the title of their exhibition currently on display at the Goethe-Institut Namibia gallery and a point to ponder as one makes their way through 'Jardin – A Story of Bodily Autonomy' and 'A Family Portrait' which reflect the diversity of beauty, the human body and the modern family. Originally created as a photo story for Sister Namibia, 'A Family Portrait' features a selection of sumptuous maternal portraits of three trans women who are nurturing mothers in their communities. “Deyoncé Naris, Memory Hochobes and Jay-Jay Morkel are three trans women in the 7de Laan community who have acknowledged 'nurture' as a value that needs to be upheld at all times and for all children within their reach,” say Tjiueza and Perestrelo. “While they represent the dawn of a new Namibian mother, they also uphold the sentiments of the many women who came before them and who have taken up the challenge of caring for children despite the erasure they face due to their identities,” the duo says. “The reality is that queer mothers exist and contribute in equal significance to the healthy development of children. With greater visibility of queer motherhood comes the fostering of greater appreciation, acknowledgement and safety for queer mothers in Namibia and anywhere else in the world.”While the portraits may deviate from what traditionalists view as a legitimate family unit, Tjiueza and Perestrelo highlight the fact that many Namibian families aren't actually nuclear. “The truth about the experience of raising a child in Africa is that it's a multifacetedendeavour. We are raised by a community – from our grandmothers and aunts to our teachers, family friends and neighbours. For many growing up in Namibia comes with little to no affinity with conventional forms of parenthood,” say Tjiueza and Perestrelo. “The three women represent what Namibian families truly look like today.”Tjiueza and Perestrelo further urge us to wake up and acknowledge evolving reality in 'Jardin- A Story of Bodily Autonomy' which presents a series of intimate, textured portraits of a nude and faceless person. Pushing back at traditional ideas of beauty and gender as well as who is “worthy” of delicate, flowery, intimate viewing and portraiture, 'Jardin' reflects the perfectly imperfect bodies we are all familiar with, despite rarely viewing them in galleries or in the media.In 'Jardin', the subject's thighs are large and touch. They have belly fat, stretch marks, pigmentation and texture yet the visual treatment and soft floral details cue an appreciation of beauty. This, despite the knee-jerk cognitive dissonance resulting from our force fed media and culture diet of small, airbrushed, smooth and made up faces and bodies.“ 'Jardin' explores bodily autonomy in hopes of debunking existing stigmas and the respectability politics that exist to restrict and limit the rights that primarily women and non-binary persons have over their bodies,” say Tjiueza and Perestrelo.“There is no such thing as a 'bad body'. Your body has so many uncontainable forms and folds, that its beauty cannot be measured, dictated or defined by society. It is constantly changing and it deserves to be loved and appreciated in all of its forms.”An uplifting and purposeful selection presented at a time when Namibia is experiencing increased advocacy for the recognition of LGBTQIA+ people's rights and against sexual and gender based violence, 'Where Are We Now?' is a continuation of the work to make Namibia safe for all its people.“As a community, we have rallied together to combat gender-based violence, rape culture, and advocate for reproductive justice and the safety and inclusion of the LGBTQIA+ community. We have created safe spaces that allow us to express ourselves, challenge archaic notions of gender, family, and beauty,” say Tjiueza and Perestrelo.“We invite you to ponder on our progress as a nation. How can we be more inclusive? How far have we come?”, the duo asks. “Are we ready to create a Namibia where we all feel seen, protected and respected?” 'Where Are We Now? is a Goethe Stage exhibition curated by EFANO EFANO and was on display at Goethe-Institut Namibia until 6 April. Select images can be viewed on Sister Namibia's Instagram.-martha@namibian.com.na; Martha Mukaiwa on Twitter and Instagram; marthamukaiwa.com