.aesthetic talk
Tschabalala Self
Self Talk
written Hannah Rose Prendergast
Existing on canvas, through sculpture, functional art objects, and live performance pieces, Tschabalala Self’s work is a “testament to black beauty and power.”
Inspired by her birthplace of Harlem, Self’s eclectic painting and printmaking practice sews in well-rounded figures that feel at home. In homage to her mother, the artist’s female forms show skin rendered in repurposed fabric. Don’t take it politically; they’re just living their life grounded by a strong sense of self.
portrait TSCHABALALA SELF
seen CHRISTIAN DEFONTE
“I represent black women to allow them to take up space in the collective consciousness. My figures exist for their own desire, pleasure, and contentment, not for viewer edification.”
Hannah Rose Prendergast
How would you like your work to be perceived?
Tschabalala Self
My work is derived from my own lived experience because that is what I know best. I am always working to represent black women in a way that allows them to take up space, both physically and psychologically, within the collective consciousness. My figures are not there for the edification of the viewer. The idea of self-possession is fundamental in this concept and my practice. I just want to create a world where my figures exist for themselves — their own desire, pleasure, and contentment.
In a spiritual sense, what happens to the fabric in your paintings over time? Do you ever wash it?
The fabric in the paintings will remain, provided the paintings are kept and maintained appropriately. My studio is home to many scraps, fabrics, and textile pieces that have been sewn, cut, sewn, and cut again. Some of the fabric is painted canvas or old paintings, stripped from stretcher bars, and cannibalized to make new works. I believe each scrap is embedded with the energy of its own past experiences and origins.
What’s your process when it comes to titling shows?
Before titling my shows, I like to have at least the first work for the exhibition completed. The first work for a show generally sets the tone and helps me clarify my initial thoughts. I like to find a word or a term that feels both familiar and distant – something that can instantly spark an emotion but not a clear thought.
What does Seated (2022) mean to you after being restored by the community of Bexhill? Did you see the sculpture in a new light during this experience?
Of course, I was very disheartened when I found out about the vandalism, but I soon realized there was potential in using this violent act to restore the figure and unite the community around her. Many have derived joy from Seated, and with the help and support of the community, she was restored to her former likeness. I felt terribly for individuals in Bexhill-on-Sea for whom the vandalism shocked and frightened. Hopefully, the community engagement and their collective efforts to restore the artwork provided some much-needed healing — I believe it did. It is amazing that so many restorative hands have now touched the work.
TSCHABALALA SELF
Louis Vuitton Arty Capucines x Tschabalala Self, 2019
©Studio Lenthal
If you had to bring your painting ethos to a career in plastic surgery, how would you reconcile the two?
Plastic surgery is my career in an alternate universe. I love beauty, beautification, and balance, so if I had pursued such a career, I think I would have enjoyed it quite a lot. Also, my practice consists of a lot of cutting and rearranging — rearranging things and ideas is my great skill. I'm not sure if my painting aesthetic would translate too well into a plastic surgery career, but my ethos would integrate into one very smoothly.
How has your body image changed since you started painting these women?
My body image has changed mainly by nature of age, and in many ways, I have grown up while making my work. I started my current body of work when I was 23, and now, ten years later, I have gone through many physical, mental, and metaphysical changes.
“The vandalism of 'Seated' was disheartening, but its restoration by the community united and healed us. It’s amazing how many hands have now touched and transformed the work.”
In 2019, you collaborated with Louis Vuitton for their Artycapucines Collection, and last spring, Hermès unveiled your window display at their Madison Avenue location. What do you love about working with luxury brands?
I love the mutability of fashion houses. I appreciate how their identities can expand and contract without compromising the core culture of their brands. I admire and emulate this flexibility within my own practice.
Sounding Board (2021) was your first venture into live performance art. If you were to produce a feature film, what would that look like?
One of my dream projects would be to make a movie. What would that look like? Hopefully a blockbuster!
portrait TSCHABALALA SELF
seen CHRISTIAN DEFONTE
Installation view, Tschabalala Self, Spaces and Places
Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Zurich, Maag Areal, 2023
©Courtesy the artist + Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Zurich / Vienna
seen STEFAN ALTENBURGER, Zurich
What’s something your mother always told you?
My mother was very wise and very emotionally intelligent. She would always talk to me and tell me so many things. Many of the thoughts I believe to be my own, I am sure, are actually from my mother. More than anything, my mother convinced me from a very young age that I was strong enough and bright enough to pursue what I wanted out of life. That was one of the many gifts and strengths that my mother gave me; she told me in so many ways to believe in myself.
What’s next for you, Tschabalala?
Next for me is more travel, work, and hopefully, some time off – time to spend with family, friends, and loved ones. More shows, more art, and hopefully more beauty in my life.