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Lady painting by Blanchard Magoe. Adjectives describing the paintings by Ivorians Adams and Blanchard Magoe, found in Johannesburg might be "cheerful and fun".

“.. in the land of the ancient Zulus in my time when I was a young man, we never used to call trees “trees” but rather “growing people”. “This is a person”. Credo Mutwa (1996:15)

Walls vividly painted with stylized botanical species, figurative imagery or repetitive patterns using linear motifs or dots announce the yards of traditional healers to passers-by.

Woven grass mats are a rather obscure traditional craft. This is the subtle, the quiet and the normally overlooked, beauty.

The beauty and simplicity of these tri-colour cloths strike an evocative cord with the viewer. They stir something primordial, perhaps our earliest memories of living closely with nature.

Earplug production spans decades, from the late 1800s until the late 1990s and these elements of personal adornment visually depict the social history of the Zulu people of Kwa-Zulu Natal during this time. Becoming an adult in the Zulu community depended on a series of well defined steps or  progress through various age grade ceremonies, […]

To step into a textile shop in West Africa is a magic experience! Blankets, strip-woven fabric and printed ready to wear garments are precariously piled, floor to the makeshift ceiling, each alive with the vibrant colours of Africa: rich cobalt blue, terracotta, cream and magenta.

Seductive, powerful, rich. This scantily clad, snake embracing, charismatic spirit is the central figure of the fastest growing cult in Africa today.

Explanation of married womens’ dress The stylistic development of married womens’ ceremonial dress in this area is a commitment to their creativity and joy. This is an art of abundance in an area known for grinding poverty and hardship. These garments are as much a celebration of their life and creative triumph over adversity as […]