Pamela Phatsimo SunstrumDYNASTY, 2021
Phatsimo Sunstrum’s multifaceted approach is apparent in ‘DYNASTY’, a monumental multi-panel work commissioned and presented by the Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto (MOCA) in 2021. ‘DYNASTY’ interweaves historical, mythological, and speculative imagery into a richly layered composition. Visual quotations from Renaissance painting traditions add complexity to the work's symbolic vocabulary. The spears that line the upper edge of the piece reference Paolo Uccello’s ‘Battle of San Romano’ (circa 1440s), a triptych that reflects on the theatricality of war. Sunstrum incorporates repeated and rescaled motifs such as boots, textile details, volcanoes, and faint impressions of MOCA’s columns to explore how stories are constructed and preserved across time.
The installation mimics the structure of a travelling fair or temporary spectacle. Designed to be disassembled, reconfigured, or expanded, ‘DYNASTY’ embraces narrative fluidity and the possibility of transformation. This work is rooted in Sunstrum’s early work in collage, where distinct visual elements come together to form hybrid and evolving worlds.
