UKUKROTYISWA KWELINYE
THIS OEUVRE IS A MEDITATION, IT IS AN ATTEMPT TO CREATE FROM THE IMAGINED AS WELL AS THE REVEALED, SERVING AS A POINT OF CONNECTING MY DREAMSCAPE WITH PERCEIVED REALITY VIA LENS WORK AND SCULPTURAL FORMATIONS. UKUKROTYISWA KWELINYE MANIFESTS A TENSION WITH MEDIUM, SEEING HOW I CAN USE THE CAMERA, A TOOL OFTEN UTILISED TO FREEZE MOMENTS OF REALITY, AS A WAY OF OPENING PORTALS TO ALTERNATE REALITIES AND CONCEPTIONS.
I AM DEEPLY DRAWN TO AFRICAN KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS, PARTICULARLY XHOSA FOLKTALES AND HOW THEY OFFER A VIEW OF THE WAYS IN WHICH LOCALISED NOTIONS ON CREATION AND NATURAL WORLD ORDER INFORMED OUR COSMOLOGY. I AM DRAWING FROM THESE NOTIONS TO CONSTRUCT A WORLD, TO FASHION A REALITY THAT IS ROOTED IN CULTURAL FOLKLORE BUT ALSO OPEN TO MY OWN ARTISTIC INTERPRETATIONS AND EXPLORATIONS.
OUR HISTORIES ARE OFTEN FRAMED AS ORAL, TO WHICH I CONCUR THAT A LARGE PART OF THEM ARE, BUT TRUTHFULLY AN EQUAL AMOUNT OF THOSE IS ALSO VISUAL, WHETHER WE LOOK AT THE ROCK/CAVE PAINTINGS, POTTERY, OR EVEN BEADWORK, ALL THESE AND MORE ARE IN ACTUAL FACT FORMS OF WRITING, TEACHING, MARKING, THINKING, DOING, MAKING AND BEING. I PONDER ON THESE WAYS AS BUILDING BLOCKS FOR MY OWN CREATION, VISUAL FOLKTALES THAT SPEAK AN ANCIENT DIALECT, WHILE SEEKING AVENUES OF THINKING HOW VISUAL LANGUAGES CAN EVOLVE OVER TIME.
SISEMANZINI
THIS IS A SUB-CHAPTER WITHIN UKUKROTYISWA KWELINYE THAT MEDITATES ON THE ROLES CLAY AND SOUND HAVE PLAYED IN OUR EVOLUTION AS ABANTU. I CONSIDER THESE AS VITAL MEDIUMS FOR SOME OF OUR MOST PIVOTAL TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS, WHICH INSPIRED MY OWN EXPLORATION OF THE WORLDS EMBEDDED WITHIN THESE TWO SPACES. I WAS GUIDED TO CONSTRUCT UDU DRUMS, CERAMIC PERCUSSIVE/WIND POTS THAT ORIGINATE FROM SOUTH EASTERN NIGERIA, A TECHNOLOGY THAT CAME TO US THROUGH IGBO WOMEN. HERE THE EARTH (CLAY) EMITS AN AUDIBLE FREQUENCY, THROUGH THE USE OF SPACE AND WIND (UMOYA), WE ARE TRANSPORTED BACK INTO THE WATERS. SISEMANZINI CONTEMPLATES ON THE PITCHES OF SUBMERSION, HOW WATER HAS A SOUND, AND HOW THIS IS A SEARCH EXPRESSED THROUGH THESE SCULPTURES.
“SONDELA NYANA” KUTSHO ILIZWI LEXHEGOKAZI. NDILIQHELILE ELILIZWI, KODWA NDINAWO NOMBILINI.
“ANDIKU BONI MNT’OMDALA, UKWELIPHI ICALA?” NDIBUZA NDILAQZA OKO SANA ELUSANDOKUVUKA LIFUNANA NONINA.
“NGENA APHA EMANZINI MNTANAM, SILAPHA SONKE… OKO SIKULINDILE”.
