Londiwe Mtshali

My works are themed around ubungoma, which can be described as a connection between the spiritual and the physical, or a blanket term for spiritual affiliation. But more specifically, ubungoma refers to the performative aspects of ritual. There is ubungoma in my family, and I have been told that I have the calling.

These works focus on cleansing, particularly the rituals one undergoes to cleanse oneself after a traumatic event. As a consequence of the global pandemic, significant emphasis has been placed on hygiene and cleanliness. The current regulations of national lockdown in South Africa have made it difficult to access items required to partake in cleansing rituals. My current work is inspired by the various forms of cleansing my family and I have undergone after the recent passing of my aunt. These works borrow loosely from rituals that I have partaken in or witnessed. In these performative gestures, I try to suggest femininity in ubungoma. The re-interpretive approach I take critically addresses the patriarchal undertones of this age-old practise, whilst acknowledging and seeking to work with the contemporary value of ubungoma-