DON’T MISS THIS: ILOBOLA, A SOLO EXHIBITION BY CERAMIC ARTIST ZIZIPHO POSWA

The exhibition – Poswa’sdebut solo – includes 10 iconicsculptures made from hand-coiledclay combined with cast bronze forthe first time. The artist’s work isgaining significant internationalattention with a recent acquisitionby the Philadelphia Museum ofArt, two years after the Los AngelesCounty Museum of Art (LACMA)bought a pair of sculptures.

iLobola pays homage to thespiritual offering at the heart of theancient African custom of lobola,or bride-wealth: the cow. Whereastraditionally the groom’s familywould gift a certain number ofcows to the bride’s family after aprocess of negotiation between thetwo parties, in more recent timesthe animals are often replaced bya monetary payment – leadingthe practice to be viewed as more

commercial in nature. But this obscures the primary purpose of lobola, says Poswa – that of ukwakhiwa kobuhlobo, the building of relations between the two families.

Lobola also raises questions about whether it disempowers and objectifies women, but Poswa unapologetically overrides this perception, choosing to celebrate both strength and sensuality in her work. The 10 sculptures in iLobola reach up to two metres high – her biggest yet – each emblazoned with a pair of massive bronze horns that pierce the air. Their voluminous bases take the form of huge conical teardrops, undulating gourds or giant barrels that invite anthropomorphic associations.

Poswa’s ceramics have attracted strong interest from international collectors and can be found in important private and corporate collections in South Africa and around the world.

iLobola is on at SouthernGuild in the Silo District, V&AWaterfront, Cape Town until 1 July.