izizukulwane Snelihle Maphumulo

by Snelihle Maphumulo

I am drawn to the intimate, quiet spaces between memory and the present, where tradition stretches like a thread – absent yet present, through generations. My work is a conversation with the past, an exploration of the fluidity of the Zulu culture, adapting and bending over time with each generation. In each work of art, I have captured the essence of the stories that have been passed down to me by their keepers. These are the women of my family, the ones who mould the home with tenderness and power.

Family and community are central to my exhibition. My mother and her mother hold a special place in my heart. Through their voices, I discover mine, and through their lives, I see how tradition is firm yet fluid. These women are thus also at the heart of this exhibition. Their strength and grace thread through my practice, shaping the forms I create. Ngalo mbukiso, ngikhombisa izinguquko zesiko ezizukulwaneni ngezizukulwane.

I work with materials that one would typically find in the surroundings of the Zulu home. These materials are cowhide, sheephide, cow dung, veranda polish and sorghum. Through these materials, I capture the pulse of tradition as both presence and absence, a weight of what I can see and cannot see. For example, the pieces of hide convey the absence and presence of the animal that once existed – a shadow of what was, leaving its imprint. The materiality in this exhibition holds these imprints. I work with materials that have their own voice, speaking through texture, colours and materiality. Forms and shapes that extend an invitation. Rich, earthy, and raw materials – yet touched with modern hands – speak of the generations before me. 

Tradition continues to hold my family together, even as we redefine it over time. I invite you to discover the intimate moments of family gatherings, to witness the space between then and now, and to immerse yourself in my personal story.