Dineo Seshee Raisibe Bopape

While preparing the exhibition, Dineo Seshee Raisibe Bopape spent time on the Frantsila organic herbfarm in Hämeenkyrö, Finland, learning about healing herbal plants, local traditions and nature. All of this had a significant impact on the exhibition. Consisting mainly of materials sourced from Finland, the installation turns the gallery into a built landscape. Together with experts from Frantsila, Bopape developed a tea for the exhibition that includes dream-promoting herbs such as heather and hops.

In her practice Bopape often uses natural materials such as clay, soil, ash and plants, from which she creates site-specific installations. Although the materials are ordinary, they convey a rich sense of symbolism, often referring to history and actual geographic locations. Soil is a particularly central material in her work; according to southern African lore, the minerals found in rocks, for example, are repositories of memory and primordial knowledge. Alongside natural materials, the artist employs video, sound and neon lights in the exhibition in Kiasma.

The female condition often plays an important role in Bopape’s work as the source of life and renewal. Bopape’s work stems from personal experiences of her native South Africa and its history, which transcends national boundaries. With the new body of work, Bopape continues to work with soil and clay, which offer tools for remembering.