I Am Woman Leap of Faith

Watch the EPISODE

Director: Lauren Groenewald

This story features iconic South African artist and storyteller Mmakgabo Helen Sebidi. We follow the twists and turns of Sebidi’s remarkable life, journeying with her from her home village of Marapyane in Mpumalanga Province to the harsh realities of Johannesburg during the height of apartheid.

Sebidi shares the gripping tale of what it took to transform her life from domestic worker to internationally acclaimed artist. From a shy, uncertain teenager, newly arrived in the big city, to an impassioned custodian of her people’s culture through her art.

Sebidi, who is in her 70s and still working today, shares with series host Lisa Chait what it took to become the first black South African female artist to hold a solo exhibition and the Leaps of Faith that helped her craft, and hold onto, her dream.

Watch a man in Mmakgabo’s village RESPOND TO THE SERIES

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