Through our Eyes — narratives of Angolan womanhood
Novembro 11 — Novembro 15, 2020
Abuja Art Week Digital, Nigeria

Photography, dimensions variable.
Vienna, Austria


“Where does life come from and whence does
it go? Even modern science does not know the answer for sure. To our ancestors the mysteries of life and death were solely in the hands of the Gods and the gift of life and fertility was their blessing to grant or to withhold. Our ancestors regarded the earth as the living body of the Earth Goddess that continuously gave birth to existence; the source of life itself. Yet, life lives on life, the cycle of existence is a continuous self-devouring and self-recreating process of transformation and regeneration. All life must die and yet, death is a sacrifice to life that ulti-
mately ensures its continuity. Thus, to our an-
cestors life and death were not so much seen
as opposing forces, but rather as two aspects
of the same inexplicable mystery. [...]

When the mysteries of life are reduced to chemical formulae and the natural world in-
cluding our own bodies are rationalised and explained as mere chance assortments of matter following mechanical laws that can be manipulated at will, we are loosing touch with the very spiritual essence that gives meaning
to existence. We may think ourselves Gods, but it seems that our species is possessed by demons intent on disintegrating the innate connected-
ness of all life and on poisoning the very source from whence all life springs and to which it must eventually return. [...]

But where can we go from here? How can we heal the dichotomy between matter and spirit and restore that sense of connectedness in
this world that is becoming increasingly frag-
mented? We cannot go back in time and simply do as our ancestors did. Rather, it is a matter
of fostering personal relationships with nature and the life giving powers that sustain us all.
It is a personal quest rather than a matter of dogma, of developing an attitude of gratitude and caring towards all life, not as theoretical constructs, but in terms of practical action. ”
(© Kate Morgenstern)

After trying to conceive for a long time I starded to study the history of fertility in diverse parts of the world, a costume was created which com-
bines symbols of several fertility goddesses. Artemis from Greece/Turkey, Pachamama from Latin America and the head of a female Totem from Westafrica.

The “eggs” or “breasts” of the Lady of Ephesus on her chest, have been variously interpreted as multiple accessory eggs, grapes, acorns, or even bull testes.

Pachamama (Mother Earth or World Mother) is a fertility goddess revered by the indigenous people of the Andes. She is an ever-present and independent deity who has her own self-suffi-
cient and creative power to sustain life on this earth. Thus, many in South America believe that problems arise when people take too much from nature because they are taking too much from Pachamama.

The head gear refers to a totem of the Baule tribe from Ivery Coast, which people in the
US believe if they touch the totems head that women fell pragnent. And obviously the
penis is linked in many cultures for invoking
fertility and reproductive fruitfulness.

The make up uses signs which are in different cultures linked to fertility. Waterflow is an archetypal symbol for the flow of life. Similary, the zig-zag is possibly the most ancient symbol of human history.

Acknowledgments
Claudio Chocolate (photography)
Atelier Renato & Co (costume)
Julia Hrdina (make-up artist)