Zizipho Poswa

Zizipho Poswa’s ongoing Umthwalo series of totemic ceramic pieces are an ode to the load carried by Xhosa women and the practice of umthwalo (‘load’), where heavy items are carried on the head. In the rural Eastern Cape (and other parts of South Africa), women traditionally perform the tasks of gathering wood, collecting water and taking bucket loads of clothing to wash in the river. In Umthwalo uMamvulane, one can imagine the faint outline of a woven basket or wooden carved bowl filled with fruit or utilitarian tools.
For Poswa, who witnessed these daily rituals as a young girl, the strength required to balance these heavy items and walk long distances is testimony to the endurance of Xhosa women. This range also has personal significance for her, as it pays homage to her own journey as a Xhosa woman carrying various responsibilities for her family and community and wearing different hats: artist, ceramicist, fashion and textile designer, businesswoman, mother.
The sculptures juxtapose curvaceous, simplified forms with sensual, delicate details, all emblazoned with colour and texture that reflect her grounding in textile design.