Elegy for maternal sacrifice.
A debt that can never be repaid.
By Nyadzombe Nyampenza
The piece Smiling is a trope for the long-suffering matriarch. The portrait seems to have been derived from a poorly lit photograph. Painter Albert Simango repurposes the stereotype into an elegy for maternal sacrifice.
The basis for the painting is a spare, understated composition. It may have been a subliminal choice. The sitter is a middle aged woman with Afro hair styled in a humble push back. Her dress is simple in design and muted in color. She wears no makeup or jewelry. There is a slight downward turn on the corner of her lips. It is the lip press after a fleeting smile that now remains only in memory and the title of the work.
Light falls across the woman’s face as if it were coming from a sun past its zenith. The shadow of her profile slides across her shoulder. Darkness fills the lines etched on her face. Paint brings depth to the signs of age and stress. Her eyes are self-consciously averted. She is caught in a contemplative mood. A non-confrontational posture that welcomes the observer to linger.
The portrait is intimate and emotionally engaging. The audience is absorbed in Simango’s relationship with the sitter. It allows catharsis for many who were raised by strong Black women that can never be appreciated enough.
