Leisurely Sailing: Sophie with her Binoculars

Mary Sibande creates "counter-historical narratives" in which she challenges stereotypes and examines the ways in which race, gender, and labor interact, particularly in her native South Africa. Working in a variety of mediums, she centers the character of "Sophie," who resembles her and acts as her alter-ego. Through her, she examines her family’s history of forced domestic labor under Apartheid, challenging stereotypes and the ways in which race, gender, and labor interact, particularly in South Africa under an authoritarian regime. Sophie is shown in a variety of uniforms, all of which have symbolic meaning. Here she is shown in blue and white, inspiring Sibande to term such works "Sophie’s "Blue Phase." Such uniforms were worn by South African domestic workers yet rather than showing Sophie ‘s labor, here she is depicted on the deck of a cruise ship (S.S. Vacation visible on the life preserver) with binoculars, an act of leisure and pleasure. Sibande portrays Sophie’s dreams and fantasies, noting that such stories and experiences were often denied to Black woman especially under apartheid.