Cape Town - The first formal exhibition by Our Cape Town Heritage (OCTH) proved a success as attendees were visibly moved to tears at the captivating and intimate images captured by local photographer Rizqua Barnes of an age-old Cape Malay wedding tradition.
Barnes’ first solo exhibition, The Wedding Salawaat, facilitated by OCTH, opened for first Thursdays at the KnexT Art Gallery and ended on Saturday.
Non-profit organisation OCTH provides marginalised artists with practical support to showcase their art and cultural works.
A heartwarming touch added was the inclusion of a live recital of the salawaat which is traditionally rendered when the bridal couple leaves the venue, evoking similar emotions felt when witnessing this in person.
The salawaat refers to praises of the prophet Muhammad (Peace be Upon Him) recited by guests, when the bride is fetched by respected senior women (hajjis), wrapped in a faux shawl and ushered through the pathway created by the attendees, while she embraces and listens to the little prayers and blessings whispered to her by family and friends.
OCTH archival researcher Abdud-Daiyaan Petersen said: “When researching this project, I used newspaper articles from the 1880s and even as far back as the 1860s, as far as was documented of Cape Muslim marriages or weddings that was available and so I found quite a bit of information about it.
“Very interesting is that by the 1880s it would be described that weddings in the last few years have been more of a European style and previously, they were more Eastern or Oriental. So when we think of our weddings, the white dress and all this, it’s actually a Victorian wedding we adapted to around 140 years ago.”
Many cultures recite various forms of salawaat during weddings, he added. “In terms of how we do it here, in Yemen, in the Hijaz region of Saudi Arabia, in Indonesia, the salawaat is done at various times in the wedding. Not that it is the same as ours, but it just highlights this fact that it is done.”
Barnes said she wanted those viewing her works to feel what she had when photographing the highly emotional and intimate moment for the bride and her loved ones.
In recent times, wedding invitations would exclude children from the ceremony, said Barnes and some young people who attended the exhibition shared their unfamiliarity with the beautiful custom and the significance of its practice.
On working with OCTH, KnexT Art Gallery owner Blake Anthony Combrink said: “We share an ethos in that we are also trying to give people who don’t always get the limelight, to spotlight artists, to give them the recognition they deserve and shed light on maybe artists who are not always getting their work out there. So we are trying to level the playing field.”