Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum is a visual artist known for her approach to world-building and creating imagined spaces. Her latest exhibition, “It Will End In Tears,” is her first major commission in the UK, and it has been a two-year collaboration with the Barbican Centre in London.
This exhibition transforms the Curve Gallery into an extraordinary experience, filled with interconnected film sets made of plywood ramps, walkways, stairs, and domestic interiors. Pamela worked alongside Remco Osório Lobato to design this fascinating space.
The exhibition features life-size dioramas that wrap around the gallery, presenting key locations like a train station waiting room, a household interior, and a front porch. Those in attendance become active participants, moving through the space and piecing together the story, much like reading a screenplay.
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Pamela created nineteen paintings for this exhibition, using oil and pencil on wood panels. The first painting, titled “Scene 1, 2024,” introduces us to Bettina, an alter ego of the artist. Bettina is shown wearing a fur coat and cloche hat, returning home to an “undisclosed mid-century colonial outpost,” inspired by the artist’s grandmother’s village in Botswana. Through Bettina’s journey, the exhibition looks at themes of empire, identity, and belonging as she adjusts to a life of rural domesticity.
The design of the space and the artworks interact beautifully. The curves of the gallery inspire the flowing lines in Pamela’s paintings. Some areas of the wood panels show deep, forceful lines that suggest a sense of danger, while other parts are left bare, emphasizing the materiality of the works. Pamela explains her interest in softness and strength, asking whether something delicate can still hold meaning and communicate effectively.
Her artistic practice draws from various sources, reflecting her academic background. She describes her work as “citational,” meaning she finds connections across different fields of knowledge. Influenced by film noir and theatre, she looks to classic films from the 50s and 60s, such as Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rear Window” and “Vertigo,” as well as Elia Kazan’s “A Streetcar Named Desire.” These films often feature dramatic lighting and strong contrasts, which inspire her vision.
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Writers like Bessie Head and Ben Okri also significantly influence Pamela’s work. She admires Head’s ability to reveal deeper truths through small, everyday moments and Okri’s magical realism, which blends the real world with the spirit world. These influences help Pamela understand the complex themes of power and identity in her exhibition.
The title “It Will End In Tears” serves as both a threat and a promise. It reflects the challenges faced by women who dare to step outside societal norms. Pamela aims to reclaim this language of control, particularly for women who question the status quo. She challenges the traditional “femme fatale” trope, asking what it means to be a dangerous woman and uncovering the complexities behind their actions.
Throughout the exhibition, Pamela introduces multiple alter egos that share her likeness but are not self-portraits. This creates a sense of confusion and gives viewers a chance to consider whether they are seeing the same figure in different moments. The narrative is not linear, prompting questions about memory, hope, and the future.
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She intentionally leaves some elements of the story open-ended. She believes there is power in withholding information. In today’s world, where everything often feels complete and clear, she wants to challenge audiences to look beyond the surface and do some of the work themselves.
