A Journey Into Sophie’s next chapter at Artist Proof Studio

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It’s been ten long years since Sophie made her escape into self-imposed exile. Who is Sophie? An alter-ego created by South African Mary Sibande, a sculptural figure who traverses the uncanny valleys of liminal space. Sophie is personal. Her visage is modelled largely after the artist herself, and she draws on the history of the women in Sibande’s family, but Sophie is also symbolic, a figure that stands in to speak for femininity, blackness, labour, post-coloniality, and communities on the margin as a whole. Sophie moves in between history and contemporary life.

Now, she is sending images of leisure and letters back to us, documenting her journey. These images depict her engaging in leisurely activities such as playing tennis, enjoying tea, playing golf, and sitting on a swing—activities that were once forbidden to her.

On Kawara’s postcard series, part of his broader project titled “I Got Up,” the artist sent postcards daily to friends, colleagues, and art institutions from 1968 to 1979. Each postcard was stamped with the date, the artist’s location, and the phrase “I GOT UP AT” followed by the exact time he got out of bed that morning. The concept behind this series centers on themes of time, existence, and routine. Kawara’s work meticulously documents his daily life, highlighting the passage of time and his presence in different locations around the world. This practice reflects the artist’s interest in the mundane aspects of daily life and transforms ordinary events into art, thereby questioning the boundaries between art and life.

Similarly, Sophie sends images of herself engaging in leisurely activities that were historically denied to her. By doing so, she refuses to be confined by the constraints imposed by institutions that limited Black people’s freedom and participation in leisure activities. For the first time, we witness Sophie delving deeper into her dreams, fully embracing the pleasures of leisure. The ambiguity in her actions is reminiscent of the famous lyrics, “I can be a sweet dream or a beautiful nightmare.” Her actions challenge and redefine the boundaries set by oppressive systems, celebrating a newfound sense of freedom and self-expression.

Like Kawara, Sophie’s documentation of her daily life transforms ordinary events into art, questioning the boundaries between art and life while addressing historical and social contexts.

Sibande has been spending time at Artist Proof Studio transforming the images of Sophie into incredible fine art prints. The new body of work, carefully depicted in delicate etchings and lithographs, has already gained a lot of traction. With one of the editions, Sophie Leisurely Playing Tennis, sold-out in under a week. New prints will be available from September 2024.