SEVENTY years’ after the historic Women’s March of 1956, a new exhibition of 100 works by South African women artists across generations and disciplines titled, Women Making Their Mark, drawn from the FirstRand Art Collection, opened at Art&About at 8 Merchant Place, Sandton, on the Thursday evening of 20 August.
Featuring painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, mixed media and works on paper, and offering a diverse selection of perspectives on identity, experience, place and the world around us – the exhibition showcases the works of, et al., Irma Stern, Esther Mahlangu, Marlene Dumas, Mary Sibande, Zanele Muholi, Georgina Gatrix and Vanessa Tembane.
According to a media release accompanying issued ahead of its launch, the exhibition has particular resonance in 2026 since it marks 70 years since the historic Women’s March of August 9, 1956, when more than 20 000 women of all races marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to present a petition against the extension of pass laws to women.
After standing in silence for 30 minutes, the women sang the now iconic words: “Wathint’ abafazi, wathint’ imbokodo” (“You strike a woman, you strike a rock”).
Intentionally displayed on the walls of VovoTelo@Merchant Place, a public restaurant, the reasoning behind such a form of presentation offers an excuse to patrons to pause and ponder around the artworks while socializing over a bite and a drink – which was precisely what attendees at the launch engaged in.
Presented during Women’s Month, the exhibition assembles creations of past and present women who among them carry reputational and monetary heft such as, et al., Irma Stern, who is acknowledged as South Africa’s historically and financially highest-earning artist; Netherlands-based South African artist Marlene Dumas, who holds the distinction of creating one of the most expensive works, viz, Miss January, which sold for $13.6 million at Christie’s auction in New York – thereby setting a historic world auction record for a work by a living female artist; and the 2026 Hasselblad Award recipient, viz photographer Zanele Muholi.
Of the current crop also featured in the exhibition is the Sedibeng-based 31-year-old contemporary visual artist Vanessa Tembane, a holder of a Masters degree in Fine Arts who was born in South Africa to a Mozambican mother.
Tembane was a co-panellist along with gallerist Teresa Lizamore and Latitudes Business Development Director Malaika Evans, during a discussion themed Art, Resilience and the Stories We Share – at the launch.
Her art – primarily collages – merges photographs taken in South Africa with images of her Mozambican relatives, to create unique hybrid compositions. Through her work, she narrates stories about her origins and an alternative “home” culture she indirectly experienced.
Before an audience mostly composed of her peers, the young creative expounded on her background, as well as her sojourn in the artworld.
In the media release, the Head of Social Investing at FirstRand, Kone Gugushe, is quoted thus: “Art gives us another way of seeing the world. It challenges assumptions, opens conversations and brings different perspectives into the public imagination. When women’s creativity is embraced, we build stronger teams, create greater value and contribute meaningfully to society.”
About the FirstRand Art Collection
FirstRand has a long-standing commitment to the arts and to Africa’s creative economy. Its corporate art collection now comprises more than 4200 artworks and sculptures. From its inception close to 40 years ago, the collection has been conceived around the idea of building a body of work that would encourage discourse and accessibility.
This philosophy extends beyond the traditional boardroom or gallery. Art from the collection is encountered throughout all FirstRand offices, including public-facing spaces where people work, meet, eat and gather.
At, a public restaurant, artworks become part of the everyday experience of people enjoying a coffee or lunch, creating informal opportunities to stop, look, think and engage
Women Making Their Mark, runs from 20 August 2026 until mid November 2026.
Image Jacob MAWELA (Vanessa Tembane limned adjacent to her artworks during the launch of the Women Making their Mark exhibition in Sandton.)
