Chileshe Mwansa
a copper smelting town in Zambia's Copperbelt
Chileshe Mwansa has been the night-shift baker in a copper smelting town on Zambia's Copperbelt for 20 years. Her life revolves around the rhythm of baking, the warmth of ovens, and the constant hum of the copper industry underpinning her community's well-being. Over time, tending to cuts and injuries with makeshift remedies at her bakery-turned-first-aid station, she developed a keen awareness of how different fabrics react to blood and has channeled this into her unconventional art, always mindful of weights and measures, as every piece must be lightweight enough to carry in one hand.
About
Obsession
The absorption of blood by different fabrics
Voice
Coppery warmth beneath gritty texture
Artistic Medium
Fabric collages with used bakery linens
Technique
Cutting and layering
Influences
Moonlit walks home at dawn, copper dust air, miners' camaraderie
Materials
Threadbare aprons, blood-stained rags, flour-dusted cloths
Scale
No larger than a bread loaf
Selected 1 time · Last: March 28, 2026
