Violeta Sofia: Belonging and Rebirth
22nd November, 2024 – 3rd December, 2024
Handbag Factory
3 Loughborough St
London, SE11 5RB
As the winner of the first 70:15:40 Project, artist Violeta Sofia presents her highly anticipated installation, ‘Belonging and Rebirth’, an evocative visual journey that honours the beauty, strength, and wisdom of African cultural traditions, through a composition of photography, painting, sculpture and video. Launching at the Handbag Factory on the 22nd of November till the 3rd of December, this exhibition explores Violeta’s personal quest to reclaim and celebrate the cultural “magic” of her heritage, rooted in the traditions of Cameroon and the island of Bioko.
Image courtesy of Violeta Sofia
Her work captures powerful elements of her family’s Bafia and Bubi heritage, challenging the ways in
which these sacred practices have been misinterpreted or exploited by external perspectives.
Inspired by Yinka Shonibare’s role as the coordinator of the Reclaiming Magic Summer
Exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts in 2021, Violeta Sofia presents Belonging and Rebirth as
a heartfelt response to Shonibare’s powerful statement: “To reclaim magic means to regain power
over the word.” Violeta’s interpretation of this idea drives her to depict African traditions not as
spectacles, but as intricate expressions of identity and wisdom. Her work confronts historical
narratives that have often maligned African spiritual practices, instead offering viewers an intimate
window into her world.
Through her photography, Sofia guides audiences into essential ceremonies, such as Töparápará
—a traditional baptism that blesses a newborn with Tola leaves, turning red when crushed. In
each piece, she celebrates life cycles, community, and ancestry, focusing on practices like Bötói,
a fertility ritual, and ceremonies that emphasise connection to nature and ancestral honour.
“These traditions are part of the life cycle; they honour both beginnings and endings, and they pay
homage to the ancestors who came before us,” Sofia explains.
In addition to her photographs, Sofia has been instrumental in shaping the exhibition’s direction
as one of the first recipients of the 70:15:40 Project UK Prize. The prize provided her and other
trailblazing artists with resources to expand their projects and reach wider audiences. Together
with fellow recipients, Paloma Tendero, Hanna Ali and Roman Manfredi. Violeta’s collaborated on
every aspect of the exhibit, from helping choose the gallery venue to organising a panel that
amplifies the voices of women photographers and other underrepresented creators. “it’s been
incredible to set the tone for future recipients of the prize,” she notes.
Image courtesy of Violeta Sofia
‘Belonging and Rebirth’ hopes to inspire a new appreciation for African traditions and the storie
they carry, offering audiences a chance to see life from a different perspective.“I want viewers to
feel connected, moved, and, hopefully, to leave with a deeper respect for cultural richness—both
in art and in life,”
‘Belonging and Rebirth’ opens 22 of November 2024 at the Handbag Factory, with an artist-led
panel discussion and additional programming celebrating the power of storytelling through visual
art.
Violeta Sofia: Belonging and Rebirth opens on the 22nd of November, 2024 until the 3rd of December, 2024 at the Handbag Factory
©2024 Handbag Factory, Violeta Sofia
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