14. Keiskamma Art Project’s Resilience Tapestry documents the Eastern Cape community’s experience of Covid-19

VISI / REASONS

The Eastern Cape weavers of the Keiskamma Art Project have come together to tell the story of the pandemic through the medium of another of their extraordinary works – the Resilience Tapestry.

he Keiskamma Art Project is part of the greater Keiskamma Trust, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to uplifting the communities that live in the area alongside the Keiskamma River in the Eastern Cape with design, craft skills, and technology training – and the project’s skilled weavers have again captured an unforgettable period in our history with their work.

The project’s extraordinary 7.5m-long Covid-19 Resilience Tapestry was recently unveiled as a work- in-progress installation at Union House in Cape Town as part of the “Right Here, Right Now” group exhibition. It weaves together memories of a year that many of us will never forget, capturing – over four seasons – what life was like in Keiskamma during the first year of the pandemic. The tapestry is dominated by a giant fig tree at its centre – “the tree of life” – with the Keiskamma River winding behind it. Scenes from the village’s experiences of the pandemic unfold in thread from left to right, like a calendar, illustrating the seasons and events that are being lived through.

Two “prophets” begin the narrative: the historic, near-mythical Xhosa prophet Nongqawuse, and South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa. They overlook the unfolding story as birds fly between branches over the heads of masked, socially distanced community members, and woven lines of poetry by Marguerite Poland that capture the unique cosmology of the Eastern Cape.

“It is an honour to be associated with a work that will empower and enable people to express their talent, and assist them in times of economic stress,” Marguerite says of her involvement. “The tapestry, which reflects on the history, language and culture of their community in response to the devastating effect of this worldwide pandemic, will be a legacy of great significance.”

It’s difficult to capture the scope of the work without seeing it, but while much of 2020 and 2021 threatened to tear livelihoods and communities apart, particularly in rural areas, the inspirational Resilience Tapestry pieces the story back together in the sensitive and moving way that only great art can.

Michaela Howse, manager of the Keiskamma Art Project, says this woven record is an important part of the work they do. “One of the goals of the Keiskamma Art Project is to capture memory and local knowledge through quite a beautiful consultative process with the community,” she says. “Through the stitch, we make visible some of the invisible knowledge that exists.”

Since first being exhibited, the tapestry has been acquired by entrepreneur Ravi Naidoo, the founder of Design Indaba, who intends to exhibit the piece in a public space to ensure its message is seen and understood. “The tapestry captures what we’ve all just been through, and also helps us figure out what this unprecedented time in our lives has done to us collectively,” says Ravi. “The people of Keiskamma need our support more than ever – I hope that bringing awareness to their work by finding a place to display it so that the public can partake in it, will ensure their voices continue to be heard.” death_and_resurrection_

GARRETH VAN NIEKERK PHOTOS SUPPLIED WORDS

THIS PAGE Details of the Keiskamma Covid-19 Resilience Tapestry capture the unique response of the rural community during the pandemic. OPPOSITE A giant fi g tree, which represents the Tree of Life, dominates the narrative of the tapestry. Beneath its branches, village life and the story of the pandemic are brought into being through stitch.