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: https://youtu.be/A_1QbBQ5pag

Learn more about the space and explore all the artworks on view: https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2021/afrofuturist-period-room

#MetAfrofuturist

Production Credits:
Managing Producer: Kate Farrell
Producer: Melissa Bell
Editor: Lela Jenkins
Graphic Design: Abby Chen
Music: Austin Fisher
Photographs: Paul Lachenauer

Special thanks:
Atang Tshikare, Sarah Lawrence, Ian Alteveer, Ana Matisse Donefer-Hickie, Claire Lanier, Victoria Martinez, Sofie Andersen

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