Mʌn.tɹǝ Mãe : a solo Exhibition by Jo Roets

"In her first solo exhibition titled Man.tra Mãe, multi-disciplinary artist Jo Roets pays tribute to the powerful, yet often unsung role of female ancestry found in the many traditions that constitute South African culture. Historically Women are viewed as the initiators and custodians of culture. This is reflected in the exhibitions title meaning mantra mother in Portuguese and also the Portuguese titles of the artworks which reference Roets’s Portuguese heritage.

The exhibition comprises abstract works conceived in ecru, ivory and earth tones which show the inspiration of patterns and shapes found in the visually and symbolically rich cultures of indigenous South Africans. The artworks seamlessly incorporate many diverse cultures including Ndebele beadwork and wall painting and sewing and crocheting techniques associated with Afrikaans cultures, passed down through the matrilineage.

Man.tra Mãe provides a space for the collective, woman sung culture, acknowledging the rightful role of women in a patriarchal world where so often their creations are seen but the artist remains hidden. The inclusion of the word mantra in the title - meaning a word or sound repeated to aid concentration - is suggestive of the repetitive nature of Roets’s process and its meditative quality.

The abstract works are supported by portraits of South African woman who played an important role in Roets’s cultural upbringing. In a time of political and social divisiveness, rather than focusing on the differences between cultures, Roets invites the viewer to celebrate the many similarities found in diverse cultures rather than amplifying differences through her artworks."

- Lucinda Jolly

View all available artworks by JO ROETS