Creating art in new spaces always enhances my creativity and my connection with nature, and the exquisite nature at Bodhi Khaya offered me a unique and unforgettable experience. In my performance “Meditation for Escape from Fear” which took place over six days at four different sites, I found myself directly confronting an overwhelming fear each day: my fear of snakes. I originally wanted to confront one of my biggest fears—the fear of confined and narrow spaces. However, the snakes I encountered presented an even greater fear, one that had deep roots in my subconscious. I believe that by observing a snake quite close during the second day of the performance and by witnessing their presence daily, my fear of snakes has largely been eradicated from my unconscious mind. Light and brightness have triumphed over darkness and the devil. However, the most beautiful and significant part of the project was the performance on the fifth day when I found myself on a small beach in front of the De Kelders Caves. Being in this marvelous place, with its indescribable beauty, I was so excited to have the opportunity to perform in one of humanity’s earliest dwellings, with the waves of the Atlantic Ocean touching my feet. The lines I had drawn on that beach with the red earth of Hormuz Island in Iran, added a symbolic and powerful element to the performance, making the experience even more profound. Bodhikhaya Residency, 2024. South Africa.

Photographer: Tina Bester & Tebuza Tebokhu