Tamar Mason, Sefogwane/Treur, 2023, embroidery and beadwork on fabric, 160 x 234 cm, 63 x 92 in
Tamar Mason works primarily in textiles, but is also known for her ceramics, prints and architectural commissions. Her choice of media, traditionally associated with women's work, ornament, and domesticity, confronts perceived divisions between art and craft, and allows Mason to integrate artistic practices more closely into daily life. Her work further explores the meeting of urban and rural, and historical and contemporary, while probing themes such as national identity, the environment, and motherhood. Mason draws on the geography and history of South Africa, incorporating personal experience and broader cultural narratives into her work.
Much of Mason’s work references rural areas of South Africa, places with rich historical and cultural significance but where basic government services are failing local communities. An enduring legacy of exploitation and suffering mars these neglected locales, which are adversely affected by climate change and ecological crises. In densely embroidered textiles rendered on black fabric, Mason explores the permanent record that societies leave on the land, in contrast to the transience of human lives on the planet. Through references to local narratives, archaeology, biodiversity, and topography, Mason considers the social memory of the landscape, memorialising tensions that are still felt today.
Much of Mason’s work references rural areas of South Africa, places with rich historical and cultural significance but where basic government services are failing local communities. An enduring legacy of exploitation and suffering mars these neglected locales, which are adversely affected by climate change and ecological crises. In densely embroidered textiles rendered on black fabric, Mason explores the permanent record that societies leave on the land, in contrast to the transience of human lives on the planet. Through references to local narratives, archaeology, biodiversity, and topography, Mason considers the social memory of the landscape, memorialising tensions that are still felt today.