Try GOLD - Free
Living Unfinished
VISI 142
|VISI
For USHA SEEJARIM, the ordinary, the overlooked and the incomplete are where life leaves its mark.
-
I HAVE BEEN SHAPED by many things – personal as well as collective history, circumstances, opportunities and the lack of them, conscious adaptation, unconscious decisions realised in retrospect, and inevitabilities.
Central to what has shaped me is the quiet weight of domestic objects: irons, brooms, wooden clothes pegs, mops; probably because they are simple tools of daily labour that carry the memory of women's hands. Growing up in a fairly traditional and conservative culture, I realised that these objects were never neutral; they were, and still are, full of gendered expectations, social histories, and hierarchies around who does the work of care. It's no surprise that they have become the raw material of my sculptural language, as I recognised how they could translate stories into form.
This story is from the VISI 142 edition of VISI.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM VISI
VISI
The Art of Buying Art
Art critic, writer and curator Sean O'Toole on how to navigate the unpredictable waters of BUYING, COLLECTING and INVESTING IN South African art.
8 mins
VISI 142
VISI
A Splash of Summer
LA PETITE COLOMBE's mixologist Chane van Zyl whips up the ultimate SUMMER COCKTAILS – playful and full of local flavour.
3 mins
VISI 142
VISI
Made by Hand
Plascon's CASHMERE RANGE of interior paint embraces \"Hand, Made\" – the brand's directional new COLOUR FORECAST for 2026.
1 mins
VISI 142
VISI
Newlands 1971
At the foot of TABLE MOUNTAIN, a rare heritage-protected MODERNIST GEM by legendary architects ADÈLE NAUDÉ SANTOS and ANTONIO DE SOUZA SANTOS still brings as much joy to the owner as it did when he commissioned it in 1971.
3 mins
VISI 142
VISI
Boston 1958
A beautifully preserved MID-CENTURY MODERN residence in Cape Town's northern suburb of BOSTON has given its cinematographer owner more good angles than can be shot in a lifetime.
3 mins
VISI 142
VISI
VISION
INTERNATIONAL DIRECTIONS AND INSPIRATIONS
1 min
VISI 142
VISI
Deft: Adj. Skilful, Sharp.
DEFT STUDIOS founders MARTIN TALLIE and ZANI ALBERTS open up about their collaborative process, their design philosophy and their bold new Melkman Project.
2 mins
VISI 142
VISI
Reflections
Whether it's an ART PIECE, walls that make a HOUSE DISAPPEAR, floors that turn an ARCH INTO A TUNNEL, glasses to HIDE BEHIND, or even stretchable fabric that BREATHES, this is all about our fascination with reflections.
2 mins
VISI 142
VISI
Delicious Pages
Two iconic Mother City eateries – THE GENERAL STORE and HEMELHUIJS - celebrate milestone anniversaries with beautiful BOOKS.
2 mins
VISI 142
VISI
Where Hospitality Meets Art
Not only is THE PRESIDENT HOTEL a Mother City icon, it's also a hybrid HOSPITALITY and PUBLIC SPACE, where accommodation, social activity and cultural programming intersect.
1 min
VISI 142
Listen
Translate
Change font size