Inkomo, 2025
Metal, enamel mugs, spoons, forks
Installation: 106 cm x 197 cm x 227 cm
Artist’s Statement
Inkomo is a sculptural installation consisting of 14 cattle figurines and forms part of the broader body of work, UMTHOMBO (The Source of water). The series draws on the symbolic importance of cattle within Xhosa culture, where they represent wealth, ancestry, belonging and spiritual connection.
Made from reclaimed enamel mugs and metal spoons and forks, the sculptures transform familiar household objects into contemporary symbols of cultural memory. Their rusted surfaces and elongated legs evoke journeys through time, to get to the source of water, bringing forth nostalgic memories of rural life, childhood and ancestral traditions while reflecting on culture in a changing world.
As part of UMTHOMBO, Inkomo explores the idea of returning to one’s source, inviting viewers to reconnect with their heritage and reflect on the relationship between identity, memory and ancestral knowledge.
