Turiya Magadlela (b.1978) is a South African artist who employs a unique exploration of textiles to address issues that shape a gendered and racialized society. She sews and embroiders nylon pantyhose, correctional service uniforms, prison sheets, and other conceptually loaded fabrics to address societal issues through conceptual investigation, exploring profound themes of racial and sexual discrimination, femininity, and eroticism. Her use of tights serves not only as a medium for creativity but also as a powerful symbol, drawing attention to skin colour and the complex social landscape of South Africa, employing art-making techniques traditionally associated with femininity and craft.
Magadlela's art goes beyond mere visual representation. In live performances within the exhibition space, she sews tights on a sewing machine, offering a poignant commentary on labor conditions, gender disparities, and the enduring legacies of sexual and racial violence and abuse. In her latest series, Magadlela creates awe-inspiring tapestries from tights, transforming exhibition spaces into immersive environments reminiscent of cave-like structures. Through these monumental works, she invites viewers to contemplate the deeper implications of race, gender, and identity. These tapestries, akin to square keyholes of voyeurism, are stretched on wooden frames, inviting viewers to peer into a world fraught with historical and contemporary struggles. Prepare to be transported as Turiya Magadlela's artistry challenges and inspires.
Magadlela studied at the University of Johannesburg and Rijksakademie, Amsterdam. Since winning the FNB Art Prize in 2015, and shortlisted for the Prix D’ Prat Prize, she has shown at the 2016 Armory Show and exhibited in Berlin, USA and Ghana. Her work was included in the acclaimed group show “Blue Black,” curated by artist Glenn Ligon at the Pulitzer Arts Foundation in St. Louis. Magadlela cuts, stitches, and folds her materials across wooden frames to create multilayered abstract compositions. Drawing from her experiences as a Black woman and a mother as well as from Black South African history, Magadlela’s works serve as vibrant celebrations of Black womanhood while simultaneously suggesting the implicit eroticization of and violence against the body.