Sue Williamson
Since the 1980’s, South African artist Sue Williamson has been internationally known for her highly political photographs and prints. Her renowned project A Few South Africans features portraits of women involved in the political and cultural struggles of apartheid. Williamson’s work fills a “representational void” of the faces, issues, and stories of her home country and abroad—in particular polarizing subjects like the HIV/AIDS crisis, globalization, immigration and segregation. Says Williamson of her process, “you become aware of the audience to whom you speak. In that sense, you think backwards: what you have to say, whom you say it to, and how it will reach the audience. Having to consider your work through the eyes of somebody who knows nothing about you as an artist and what you are doing is a useful exercise.”
Williamson’s work has been exhibited at solo show around the world including Centre dâ’Art Contemporain, Brussels, Belgium, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institute, Washington D.C., Iziko South African National Gallery, Cape Town, Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, Irma Stern Museum, Cape Town and the North Dakota Museum of Art, Grand Forks, among others. Group shows include Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro, Museum Africa, Johannesburg, International …
Since the 1980’s, South African artist Sue Williamson has been internationally known for her highly political photographs and prints. Her renowned project A Few South Africans features portraits of women involved in the political and cultural struggles of apartheid. Williamson’s work fills a “representational void” of the faces, issues, and stories of her home country and abroad—in particular polarizing subjects like the HIV/AIDS crisis, globalization, immigration and segregation. Says Williamson of her process, “you become aware of the audience to whom you speak. In that sense, you think backwards: what you have to say, whom you say it to, and how it will reach the audience. Having to consider your work through the eyes of somebody who knows nothing about you as an artist and what you are doing is a useful exercise.”
Williamson’s work has been exhibited at solo show around the world including Centre dâ’Art Contemporain, Brussels, Belgium, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institute, Washington D.C., Iziko South African National Gallery, Cape Town, Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, Irma Stern Museum, Cape Town and the North Dakota Museum of Art, Grand Forks, among others. Group shows include Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro, Museum Africa, Johannesburg, International Center of Photography, New York, Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the 55th Venice Biennale.
Tate Gallery, London, UK
Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK
Virginia Museum of Fine Art, Richmond, Virginia, USA
Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA
Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, USA
National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., USA
Newark Museum, New Jersey, USA
Birmingham Museum of Art, Alabama, USA
North Dakota Museum of Art, Grand Forks, USA
Museum of Art, Pretoria, South Africa
MuseuMAfrica, Johannesburg
Sandton Museum, Gauteng, South Africa
Goodman Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa