Jabu Nadia Newman: It Takes A Village

About

Cape Town-based photographer and filmmaker Jabu Nadia Newman (b. 1994) deftly explores a range of subject matter with sensitivity and humour, from the provocative to the pop culture-esque. Through Newman's lens, the filmmaker and photographer educates audiences about intersectional feminism in South Africa’s post- apartheid landscape.Cape Town-based photographer and filmmaker Jabu Nadia Newman (b. 1994) deftly explores a range of subject matter with sensitivity and humour, from the provocative to the pop culture-esque. Through Newman's lens, the filmmaker and photographer educates audiences about intersectional feminism in South Africa’s post- apartheid landscape.

Newman was studying film, media and politics at UCT in 2015 when the Rhodes Must Fall protests and Fees Must Fall movement erupted across South Africa calling for a free and decolonized education. Newman, who had been brought up on communist ideals by her parents who worked for unions and encouraged her to be a free thinker, was deeply inspired by the strong women she met who led the protests. She decided to leave university to create work that addressed the broader issues of representation, patriarchy and oppression raised by the demonstrations and focus on what it means to be a black feminist in the new South Africa.

For her first solo museum exhibition, Newman will present a selection of medium format photographs taken during the production of Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese’s most recent feature film: ‘This Is Not A Burial, It’s A Resurrection.’ Newman began producing still images of the shoot on location. The final result is a confession of sorts... a profound, raw and at times disturbing conversation with her surroundings. On the surface, the images mirror the beauty of the mountainous landscapes of Lesotho, but slowly they reveal an extremely intimate conversation. The artist listens patiently, she pauses, and then without interpreting or embellishing, she allows us to be embraced by her emotions. ‘It Takes A Village’ is the most generous of acts.

The vernisage will take place at the museum on the 7th of September at 8 pm.

This exhibition is curated by Alec Von Bargen, Artistc Director/ Chief Curator.

Jabu Nadia Newman is an artist who works through the mediums of photography and film. She is the creator of SA’s newest feminist webseries The Foxy Five. She recently spoke at the Design Indaba Simulcast Conference and has screened her work at The Black Filmmakers Festival, The Labia, 12th XPOSED International Queer Film Festival Berlin amongst others. She directed and shot two short films: Dirty Laundry (2016) and a documentary titled Femme In Public (2017) which featured queer and trans activists Alok Vaid-Menon, Joshua Allen, Quaid “Queezy” Heneke and more. Newman co-directed, with Luvuyo Nyawose, a short film for FAKA and Angel-Ho in collaboration with the Goethe Institute titled; QUEENIE and art directed an AFDA Honours film titled DOREEN, which was nominated at the 2019 SAFTA’s and is currently streaming on Showmax. Newman won the online pitch competition through Digital Lab Africa in Web Creation for her new web series Outfoxed. She won the best pitch award again for Outfoxed at the Marseille Web Fest. Her most recent solo exhibition was titled Mokwena, Macquene, Mac queen which adressed issues of Coloured identity in Retreat, Cape Town, the history of forced removals and the result of her family having to change their surname. Newman was awarded the recipient of the Orms Cape Town School of Photography Artist in Residency program. She has recently won the 2nd edition Video Art Awards by the Arp Art Residency program Centro Luigi Di Sarro for her film titled untitled:friends which will screen at the Corte Lovere Short Film Festival in September 2019.

MUSEO MEà gratefully acknowledge and thank the ASSOCIAZIONE “ASILO DEI CREATIVI DI MEANO” for their support in the production of 'Jabu Nadia Newman’s It Takes A Village. '