About 50 East London art enthusiasts recently gathered at the Ann Bryant Art Gallery for the opening of Her Body, Her Story, Her Voice, a powerful exhibition by Mdantsane-born creative, Loyiso Lindani, confronting gender-based violence (GBV) and championing healing through art.
The project, funded by the National Arts Council of SA, forms part of a three-part series that will also travel to Mdantsane and Qonce.
Through photography, storytelling and advocacy, the project has created a platform for women to share lived experiences of trauma while reclaiming their bodies and voices.
Lindani, a Walter Sisulu University journalism graduate, mother, writer, creative artist and activist, described art as both a calling and a responsibility.
“Art is my gift. It is what I have been given to give back to the world,” she said.
Through her registered NPO, she has spent years advocating for disadvantaged and vulnerable groups.
She explained that naming the organisation after herself reflected her long-standing commitment to activism.
“I’ve been in advocacy for many years, even through my poetry. The things I speak about are some of the things I’ve experienced myself,” she said.
Her latest body of work, along with her second book, go beyond acknowledging trauma and focuse on healing generational wounds.
“It is not just about acknowledging trauma but healing generational trauma.
“If you want to heal, you have to identify the problem. You have to make decisions,” she said.
Though she initially considered hosting a women’s only event, she decided men should also be part of the dialogue.
“In advocacy circles, we often talk among ourselves.
“But if men are part of the problem, they should also be part of the conversation to help us address healing and identify what can be done to make women feel safer.”
The exhibition features striking images by photographer Bonga Mphemba.
The images celebrate women of all shapes and sizes, encouraging visitors to embrace their natural bodies.
The photographs deliberately move away from sexualisation, instead highlighting dignity, scars, stretch marks and authenticity.
“We did a shoot of all body types. The pictures attracted a lot of attention,” Mphemba said.
“Whether a woman had scars or stretch marks, at the end of the day it’s their skin, and they embraced that. We wanted to show beyond the picture.”
Displayed alongside the photographs were “Girl Get Up” T-shirts, reinforcing the exhibition’s message of empowerment and resilience.
Among the women who shared their stories was Zandile Mtshungatha from Duncan Village.
Mtshungatha recounted being placed in a children’s home in Mdantsane at the age of nine, where she was raped. In 1993, she gave birth to a son.
“It was a painful journey but God changed my life and helped me look at it from a different perspective,” she said.
Today, she runs Healing the Broken Souls, an organisation supporting vulnerable children. From her home, Mtshungatha has initiated soup kitchens and created what she describes as “a home full of love” for children in need.
“You’ll never get up stronger if you don’t go through something,” she said.
She said meeting Lindani felt natural and affirming.
“She felt so homely. I felt welcomed instantly.”
Beyond the gallery walls, Lindani has been active in community mobilisation, including involvement in the Justice for Cwecwe march and engaging with the student representative council at the University of Fort Hare to strengthen advocacy efforts.
She also works with the Embrace Network and Mamandla, and is among the top 16 women advocates supporting mothers.
Through Embrace Network’s annual “Laundry Day” campaign on March 27, a hospital bed sheet was signed and decorated before being sent to Cape Town as part of a washing line campaign honouring survivors of obstetric violence in collaboration with the national department of health.
At its heart, Her Body, Her Story, Her Voice is about building safe spaces and shifting narratives around women’s bodies and trauma.
“We are trying to build a safe space in Eziphunzani. We are hoping social workers can come in and join us and be part of the movement,” Lindani said.
Encouraging self-empowerment, she said: “You don’t need to wait for someone to help you. You can do things for yourself if you’re dedicated, committed and put in the work consistently.”
