Amabele, 2026
Acrylic on blanket
66 cm x 108 cm
Artist’s Statement
I grew up around umgidi. I have watched it, participated in it, and felt the weight of what it is supposed to mean, the return of young men from seclusion, transformed, received back into the community. I have watched the women wake up early, organise, cook, ululate prepare it, and carry it. They are the ones who hold the ceremony together. That is why they appear in this work.
But umgidi has changed. What was once a sacred rite of passage has become entangled with the flaunting of wealth and the abuse of alcohol. Amakrwala (newly initiated men) emerge from seclusion having undergone a profound transformation, only to be immediately introduced to alcohol as part of the celebration. The betterment that seclusion was meant to build is fed poison before it has a chance to take root.
Amabele reflects on the changing nature of umgidi, the Xhosa homecoming ceremony that marks the return of an initiate (umkhwetha) to the community. Traditionally, this celebration affirmed cultural values, collective identity, and the successful transition into manhood. Today, however, the ceremony has increasingly become a platform for displaying wealth and social status.
The work depicts women dressed in traditional Xhosa regalia dancing and carrying bottles of alcohol, most commonly whisky or brandy, objects that have become prominent symbols of prestige during contemporary umgidi celebrations. Women have long occupied a central nurturing role within the ceremony, preparing food, organising gatherings, and welcoming initiates back into the community. Yet they are often also the first to publicly present and celebrate the alcohol that now accompanies these festivities. The work reflects on this paradox, questioning how those entrusted with sustaining cultural values can simultaneously participate in practices that introduce newly initiated men to a culture of drinking.
Painted on a white umkhwetha blanket with its distinctive red stripes, the figures inhabit a surface that in itself carries deep cultural significance. The blanket, worn by initiates throughout the ritual process, has been shaped into the form of bottles, creating a direct visual tension between tradition and consumption. This transformation suggests how colonial influences have become embedded within the ceremony, often blurring the boundary between cultural preservation and material display.
The title, Amabele (breasts), references nourishment, care, and continuity. By juxtaposing these meanings with symbols of excess and status, the work invites reflection on what contemporary umgidi celebrations are truly nurturing and sustaining.
