Qula kwedini, 2025
Glass, metal, wood
96 cm x 31 cm x 86 cm
Artist’s Statement
My work brings together memory, material, and resistance, and is deeply connected to the landscapes and traditions of the Eastern Cape. Growing up there, I was shaped by the rhythms of rural life. I herded cattle, goats, and horses, and learned about work and rest from my grandparents. I often played stick games with boys, and from those moments, I realised that the body could hold care, strength, and defiance at once. These early experiences, rooted in stories from the Eastern Cape, remain at the heart of my practice. They drive me to keep questioning the boundaries set around gender, tradition, and belonging.
The uhadi is a traditional Xhosa musical instrument that was once only played by married women and virgins. This rule reinforced patriarchal ideas by deciding who could perform and whose voices were heard. It became both a cultural privilege and a means of controlling women’s roles in society. By reimagining uhadi in glass, I want to turn it into a symbol of resistance, challenging old traditions and making room for new ideas about African womanhood. My work calls for justice and inclusivity, giving more space to the voices of queer women and reaffirming their place in cultural memory and representation.
Glass in my work is both fragile and strong, holding tension and clarity. The glass uhadi moves beyond its traditional meaning, becoming a space for many, especially voices once silenced.
I aim to stretch and reshape tradition from within, respecting roots while rejecting imposed limits. My work creates space for dialogue and new possibilities. Qula is both an invitation and a refusal, encouraging us to claim space and recognise the deep ties between performance, survival, and becoming.
