Umphetho Wengubo Yami

Description

This series is titled “Umphetho Wengubo Yami,” which figuratively translates to “The Fringe of My Garment.” This body of work is inspired by the history of Africans — the past, the present, and the future — all of which shape who we are today. African history is documented using hessian jute sack, a material known to have existed in earlier times and traditionally used to make clothing. Through monumental figures and rough textured backgrounds, I question the condition of Africans and how we often become prisoners of our own riches.

In this body of work, I use cow dung, acrylic paint, and charcoal on hessian jute sack. The rawness of these materials serves as a metaphor for struggle. They represent being born into dark circumstances, feeling imprisoned by one’s environment, and having to create light and optimism within one’s life.

The application of cow dung in this work portrays who I am and where I come from. My connection to cow dung began in childhood, when I helped my grandmother carry it from the isibaya (kraal) for plastering walls and floors. It is known for its scent, believed to attract abaphansi (ancestors), and is also associated with traditional herbal remedies made from various leaves and plants. With that being said, the use of cow dung in my work represents our ancestors, mothers, grandmothers from the villages, and hardworking farmers.

The pegs used to pin clothes are intended to keep garments intact when strong winds arise, preventing them from being carried away. Even during rain, they remain in place until the clothes dry. In this work, they serve as a metaphor for hope. They symbolize that no matter how harsh the winds of life may become, hope must never be lost, because eventually the storm will pass. Even when the winds calm and rain continues, making your life — your “clothes” — heavier and wetter, all hardship eventually comes to an end. Every storm runs out of rain at some point. And when that moment arrives, your clothes will dry, and like a farmer after the rain, it will finally be time to harvest.