In her latest work, Cinthia Sifa Mulanga again explores the complexity of Black women’s identity.
Image gallery
Now, they were all exposed, key visual
Female figures appearing and reappearing on her canvases express individuality, transformation and a constant negotiation between the figure of average size and a giant.
The women shift, stretch, and expand in size and in expression, yet often appear cramped or constrained by their surroundings, pushing against the limits of space and self. This tension reflects the lived experience of Black women.
The giant’s outgrowth and constant transformation contrasts the averagely sized figures, who seem more content with where they are and how they fit the space they’re occupying.
Spaces that impose external expectations, limitations and strange ideals onto the giant, continuously impeding her navigation.
Where previous works explored notions of beauty and self-expression in controlled, intimate settings, Cinthia Sifa Mulanga’s latest series moves outwards into public spaces. Restaurants, Cafés, or Bars. Sites of visibility, where presence and perception unfold in everyday interactions.
Spaces, that reflect transformation, community, and negotiation of the self-image. By allowing her figures to appear and reappear in these settings, Mulanga examines their interaction, and the tension between freedom of movement against the pressure of being observed, judged, or celebrated.
