Dimakatso Mathopa

Born in Mpumalanga in 1995. Lives and works in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Mathopa’s interest in printmaking techniques such as Van Dyke Brown and silkscreen led to her discovery of the Cyanotype process, an old photographic printing process that produces a monochrome cyan-blue prints. Mathopa has been transforming her concept- photographs into cyanotype prints and began her recent ongoing series, Individual Beings Relocated.

Mathopa’s work looks at the representations of black women in a colonial context and ​explore​s​ how the colonial gaze has been subverting ​their portrayal. ​T​he depictions of black subjects throughout history ​have been instrumental in building ​the ​present ​stereotypes that stand out vividly in ​the representations of black women in South Africa today.

The ongoing series Individual Beings Relocated ​aims to deconstruct and ​reconstruct how colonialism has historically shaped ​the representations of a black woman. Photographing herself in a ‘colonial space’, ​perform​ing​ the role of the ‘black subject’ using her semi-naked body​ and ​transforming the photographic images into cyanotype prints​ ​allow her to redeem her own personal narratives​ and tell the stories of these Individual beings relocated.

Mathopa is currently in residency at the Bag Factory in Johannesburg.