'Our tapestries open ears': the South African women weaving monumental tales of love and loss

A collective based in Eastern Cape has tackled funerals, colonialism and HIV in massive fabric artworks. Their latest piece is a heartfelt cry against climate breakdownStanding at the foot of the giant hanging tapestry, Veronica Betani recalls the bitter period that is depicted in its colourful threads: mourning women watching over orphaned children, a hospital room filled with gaunt bodies, a burial."This is the funeral of Mama Susan Paliso's son," she sighs, staring at the work she embroidered with 130 other women. "It was very painful to make this piece, because this isn't just any story: it is the story of people that we know, that we loved, of people that lost their loved ones." Continue reading...