Notes

Lien Botha is an artist who revisits childhood narratives through her series Boet & Saartjie, initiated in 2018. This collection features digitally constructed photographic images complemented by embroidered 'second titles' in Afrikaans, serving as a subtext to the English titles inscribed on the photographs. The project prompts a re-evaluation of a familiar primary school textbook, intertwining personal memory with broader societal themes.

Botha merges the characters of Saartjie and her brother Boet with contemporary South African landscapes, reframing their stories in a comic-style genre that introduces playful undertones while addressing current issues like the concept of ‘home’ in a fragile social and natural context. The juxtaposition of these naive figures against expansive landscapes creates a tension that suggests the futility of reminiscing about a colonial past. Her Lost in Translation portfolio includes 12 A3-sized photographic works, each produced in an edition of five, alongside two artist proofs, exploring the complexities of memory, translation, and historical stasis.