Mary Sibande presented by USURPA and RMB Latitudes, and collaboration with Palesa Mokubung
USURPA and RMB Latitudes proudly present a solo presentation by Mary Sibande: A Queen Never Dies. For those familiar with Sibande's potent iconography, particularly the indomitable Queen Sophie, prepare for an evolution. Here, the familiar figure, a powerful embodiment of strength and the reclamation of identity within the narratives of Black South African women, transcends the sculptural form. Through an intimate collaboration with the visionary digital gallery Usurpa, Sibande propels Queen Sophie into an ethereal new dimension, envisioning her within an imagined "winter wonderland".
Featured work by Mary Sibande
Within the unique architecture of Shepstone Gardens' turret, the intricate detail of Sibande's sculpture is reborn as a luminous, three-dimensional projection – a testament to the convergence of cutting-edge digital technology and profound artistic vision.
Mary Sibande x Palesa Mokubung
Contemporary Art Meets High End African Couture: A Remaking of an African Icon
Reclaiming Rest: The Evolving Journey of Mary Sibande’s Sophie
Photography credit Lungi Ngcobo
Mary Sibande’s artistic journey continues to captivate audiences who encounter her work. Now, she joins creative forces with Palesa Mokubung, the visionary behind Mantsho, a fashion brand celebrated for its bold African silhouettes and unapologetic celebration of Black femininity. This powerful collaboration marks a bold new chapter in Sibande’s evolving practice. At the heart of her work stands Sophie, her iconic alter ego, a potent symbol of Black South African womanhood and generational memory. Once portrayed in Victorian maid’s attire, Sophie embodied the tensions of servitude and aspiration, reflecting the lived experiences of Sibande’s maternal lineage.
Palesa Mokubung
Both Sibande and Mokubung draw on heritage, memory, and identity to challenge historical narratives and reimagine the future. Sibande, through sculpture and print; Mokubung, through textiles and design. In this meeting of disciplines, their work converges around a shared mission to centre Black women’s presence, agency, and beauty.
In recent works, Sibande introduces a quieter, more contemplative Sophie, one who reclines, reads fashion news, and inhabits a space of rest. Through traditional techniques like woodcut printing, Sophie is reimagined not as a figure of labor, but of leisure. This transformation speaks to a broader cultural movement: rest as resistance, particularly for Black women whose contributions have long been undervalued.
Palesa Mokubung’s involvement deepens this shift. For the first time, Sophie will be dressed in a bespoke Mantsho garment, not as costume, but as couture. Mokubung’s distinct design language, rooted in African aesthetics, becomes an extension of Sophie’s evolution. Together, artist and designer reframe Sophie as a figure of sovereignty and style, sculpted, adorned, and empowered.
This collaboration will debut at the RMB Latitudes Art Fair 2025, where Sibande will unveil a new fibreglass sculpture of Sophie, wearing Mokubung’s signature Mantsho silhouette. The result is a striking fusion of contemporary art and fashion, a sculptural embodiment of resilience, beauty, and grace.
This is more than a creative partnership. It is a celebration of Black femininity, a reclamation of space, and a redefinition of what it means to rest, to dream, and to be seen.
Stay tuned for exclusive behind the scenes content and the official unveiling at RMB Latitudes 2025.
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