Ingubo Yakhe (His blanket), 2025
Rooibos teabags, brewed rooibos tea, binding glue, family photographs
180 cm x 146,5 cm
Artist’s Statement
Ingubo Yakhe (His blanket) is a sculpture in the form of a blanket made in memory of my late uncle, who played a fatherly role in my life. It explores grief, memory, comfort, and familial connection through the symbolic use of everyday materials associated with warmth and care. The work reflects on the bond shared with a loved one after his passing and responds to the emotional absence left within the family. Inspired by the blanket he treasured, the sculpture reflects the comfort, protection, and emotional security it once provided, transforming those memories into a space of remembrance.
Rooibos tea, his favorite drink, serves as both a material and a metaphor. Empty tea bags were carefully separated from their contents and bound together using glue to construct the blanket form. Family photographs, images of him, and artworks made in his memory were inserted into the openings of the tea bags, embedding personal histories within the structure. The blanket was then stained with brewed tea, giving the work color and reinforcing associations of comfort, ritual, and intimacy.
Ingubo Yakhe explores how ordinary objects can carry extraordinary emotional weight. By combining rooibos tea bags, photographs, and the familiar form of a blanket, the work invites viewers to reflect on grief, memory, love, and the enduring presence of those who remain with us through remembrance.
