Leeto
Photograph on metal sheet
56 cm x 84 cm
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
Being in the water, screaming, and letting go becomes a symbolic act of emotional release. Water, in its fluidity and depth, holds space for vulnerability, making it a powerful medium for healing. For men, especially in cultures where emotional expression is often suppressed, this release becomes even more significant. The water becomes both sanctuary and stage, a place to confront, express, and ultimately begin to heal emotional wounds.
This performance explores that emotional terrain, offering a deeply personal reflection through my ongoing concept mo’nna, which centres on self-reflection and introspection as a Mosotho man. In this space, I seek to challenge traditional notions of masculinity that often discourage openness and emotional expression. By placing my body in water and allowing my voice to rise through screaming, I am engaging in a ritual of release, one that embraces softness, pain, and transformation.
The act is not just personal but collective, speaking to the shared experiences of many men who carry emotional weight in silence. Water becomes a metaphor for the emotional currents we navigate, a reminder of the importance of allowing ourselves to feel and process. The rubber gown evokes a resonant graduation ceremony, typically a moment of celebration after academic achievement. Here, it symbolises a different kind of milestone: emotional reckoning, healing, and the unlearning of silence passed down through generations.
In this performance, vulnerability is not hidden; it is embodied. And through that embodiment, I find not only release, but also the possibility of growth.