ON 16 August 2012, South African police opened fire on striking mineworkers from Lonmin platinum mine at Marikana in North West province. A total of 34 mineworkers were killed, and 78 were wounded. It was the single most lethal use of force by South African security forces against civilians since the shootings at Sharpeville in the apartheid era in 1960.
This three-dimensional work was constructed in recognition of the plight of the women of Marikana who have had to rebuild their lives following the loss of their husbands and breadwinners. In the media, the events surrounding the men were continuously forefronted; the women were rarely mentioned.
The work comprises a steel armature covered in a densely woven crocheted cloak, which unravels at the bottom. The ‘heart’ is crocheted in hyperbolic planes; it, too, unravels. The steel frame references the platinum mine. The entire construction hangs from a butcher’s hook.
This work has been purchased by the Durban Art Gallery for its permanent collection.