Mother of Generations by Stanley Mutanga
Regular price$1,800.00 CAD
Shona society (the main ethnic group in Zimbabwe) is often described as patriarchal because descent is traced through the male line, from grandfather to father to son. This may be true to a certain degree, but women are also revered. A person who cries out in despair or alarm says “amai wei” (oh mother!) thus invoking their female ancestors for protection. And while fathers may historically be primary breadwinners, mothers frequently hold the purse strings and orchestrate the activities of the entire household. Women are also central in organizing and approving marriages, while aunties are key confidants for young men as they find their way in the world. In this sculpture, seven lines representing seven generations radiate outward from a mother’s breast. Artist Stanley Mutanga's remarkable sculpture encourages viewers to ponder women’s role in society and urges them to think of women as progenitors of lineages--a position which is more usually assigned to men.