Exploring the intersections of cloth, memory, and identity, Zeitz MOCAA presents We Proceed in the Footsteps of the Sunlight, the first museum survey dedicated to Zohra Opoku.
The exhibition’s title is inspired by the Book of the Dead, the ancient Egyptian text known as Coming Forth by Day. For Zohra, it is a poetic metaphor for her artistic and spiritual journey – a declaration of endurance and illumination. Positioned at the centre of her universe, she stands as both protector of and protected by the sun – a symbol of ancestral presence and the continuity of the soul.
Currently on show and running until October next year, the exhibit charts 10 years of artistic evolution, tracing what the museum describes as “quiet revolutions in cloth, memory, and self.”
Trained in fashion design and photography in Germany, Zohra’s practice transcends disciplines, extending her command of textiles into a rich, layered visual language that encompasses photography, printmaking, and textile-based installations. Across these mediums, she reflects on how identity and memory are woven into fabric, treating cloth as both canvas and archive.
Garments as Vessels of Memory
Delving into the intimate relationship between cloth and the body, revealing garments are showcased as living vessels of memory that record both personal and collective histories.
Textiles – whether inherited from family or sourced from local markets – carry stories that conceal and expose, protect and reveal. Through them, Zohra reconstructs her narratives.
This exhibition also explores the tension between concealment and revelation, an enduring theme in Zohra’s exploration of identity and heritage. Three recurring elements – water, breath, and ground – anchor the exhibition’s curatorial structure:
- Water speaks to fluidity and ritual, seen in After the Prayer/Before the Prayer (2018).
- Breath evokes the delicate balance between life and death, expressed through The Myths of Eternal Life (2020–2024).
- Ground signifies rootedness and belonging, embodied in Queen Mothers (2016), Unraveled Threads (2017), and Give Me Back My Black Dolls (2024–ongoing).
Zeitz MOCAA’s Commitment to African Art
Through We Proceed in the Footsteps of the Sunlight, Zeitz MOCAA continues its commitment to present research-driven solo exhibitions that spotlight African and diasporic artists whose practices engage with Pan-African history and global interconnectedness.
This exhibition positions Zohra Opoku as both guardian and witness of ancestral lineage and personal transformation.
Exhibition Details
We Proceed in the Footsteps of the Sunlight runs until 4 October 2026 at the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) in Cape Town. Visit www.zeitzmocaa.museum for more information.
