Zizipho Poswa's ceramic totems are bold declarations of African womanhood. A colourist who came to ceramics via textile design, the Cape Town-based artist is inspired by the daily Xhosa rituals she witnessed as a young girl growing up in the Eastern Cape and the life-sustaining roles that Xhosa women play in traditional and contemporary life. Her Magodi series looks to the sculptural forms of traditional African hairstyles (known as “magodi”), and the central role that hair salons play as a meeting place for African women. Each work is named after a family member or close friend, giving vivid, physical form to her own support network of sisterhood. Magodi - Nozibhedlele is named after the artist’s mother. The entire piece has been hand-coiled, and approximately 100 hand-pinched and painted cups cover its bottom half.

DATE

2020

MATERIALS

Glazed stoneware clay

DIMENSIONS

80 x 80 x 117 cm

STYLE

Contemporary

HERITAGE

South Africa