Switi iva ikokwana

Dimensions

54.7cm x 39.5cm

Year

2021

I am the only son in my family with 5 sisters. I was raised by women. These women include my granny and my mom.  I embrace being surrounded by women and appreciate what I have always had instead of what I used to wish for (a brother or a present father). My 3rd-year body of work is about my granny specifically and the impact she made on my life during the 7 years that I spent living with her in Limpopo (I started living with her as a child when my mom was away job hunting in Gauteng). I would go into the fields with her to plant and harvest corn and different types of food.

She taught me a lot about humanity and the importance of giving. My time with her shaped me into the kind of man that I am today.  I incorporate my grandmother into my work and capture her beauty and refer to her through associated objects including corn cobs, corn seeds, black traditional pots, rihlelo (traditional baskets) and traditional Tsonga patterned fabrics.