Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Julie Bourdin in Hamburg, Eastern Cape

‘Our tapestries open ears’: the South African women stitching monumental tales of love and loss

Veronica Betani presents the Keiskamma Altarpiece.
Veronica Betani (left) with the Keiskamma Altarpiece. Photograph: Chris de Beer-Procter/The Guardian

Standing 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.”

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.