Meet the Artists: Atang Tshikare

Meet @atangtshikare—one of the many contemporary artists whose work is featured in Before Yesterday We Could Fly: An Afrofuturist Period Room.
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Atang Tshikare’s design process is one of self-exploration, motivated by the desire to allow Indigenous knowledge to surface what has been obscured by centuries of colonization. ⁣
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Using materials native to South Africa, such as wood and grasses, and techniques passed down from his grandmother, such as charring and weaving, Tshikare reimagines a pair of 18th-century #fauteuils—a type of upholstered French chair introduced during colonization—as a means of reclaiming #Tswana culture from European colonial power. ⁣
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Leifo, meaning “fireplace” in the Sotha language, suggests that these chairs are meant to be placed in front of a hearth. The brass beading combines astrological constellations with Zulu pictograms to resemble fire sparks.⁣

Take a virtual tour of the exhibition to explore further.