Examining agency in self-portraits by selected black female artists

Abstract

Global feminism and global black feminism are central to this study as I investigate the agency of (black) women in the Western art canon because it shows how women's empowerment has developed over time. Feminist art is a crucial part of this study because it shows that female artists have navigated and challenged a traditionally patriarchal industry. This is explored through artists like Judy Chicago from the United States of America (USA) as well as Penny Siopis and Sue Williamson from South Africa, alongside critical perspectives of theorists like Marion Arnold (1996), Brenda Schmahmann (2015), and Karen von Veh (2006; 2019). In recent decades, there has been an apparent shift in the representation of black women in visual culture with global artists like Mickalene Thomas, Amy Sherald, and Wangechi Mutu expressing themes of assertiveness, confidence, and beauty in their art. By examining the works of artists like Jean-Marc Nattier and Edouard Manet, I also trace the evolution of black women’s representation in the Western art canon.

I examine self-portraiture as a feminist strategy, analysing the works of famous self-portraitists like Amrita Sher-Gil, Frida Kahlo and Cindy Sherman who have challenged gender stereotypes along with Carrie Mae Weems and Renee Cox who convey black female subjectivity in their artwork. My primary objective for this study is to show how selected prolific black female artists, namely Mary Sibande, Zanele Muholi, Billie Zangewa, and Zandile Tshabalala assert agency in their self-portraits through different (black) feminist strategies such as the oppositional gaze, self-definition, and self-love.