I was born in Bergville, KwaZulu-Natal. The passion I have for art developed during my early years of high school when I taught myself how to draw. Upon studying BA Visual Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, I was introduced to the ceramics medium, which I felt more drawn to.
This body of work was informed by the themes of virginity and female sexuality, where I translated collected information into visual depictions. These art pieces reflect on the descriptions extracted from my sources describing the changes that occur on a woman’s body upon losing her virginity. My research and my works do not pose as a challenge, an agreement, or disagreement to the cultural practice of virginity testing. It is more of an inquiry on the practice, its notions, and the value that society holds against women through their bodies.I hold dear the idea of an individual examining her own virginity, both literally and metaphorically, something like self-reflecting, seeking to perceive yourself from your perception. This idea creates a feeling of acceptance and comfort in one’s skin, shadowing feelings of shame, hate, and other negative self-imagery that stem from women viewing themselves through the lens of society. I appreciate how clay allows me to feel the work as I make it. Like my interpretation of Ukuzihlola, I feel and see parts of myself through the process of making art and from that, I choose how to respond to the negative views of society associated with female sexuality
I was born in Bergville, KwaZulu-Natal. The passion I have for art developed during my early years of high school when I taught myself how to draw. Upon studying BA Visual Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, I was introduced to the ceramics medium, which I felt more drawn to.
This body of work was informed by the themes of virginity and female sexuality, where I translated collected information into visual depictions. These art pieces reflect on the descriptions extracted from my sources describing the changes that occur on a woman’s body upon losing her virginity. My research and my works do not pose as a challenge, an agreement, or disagreement to the cultural practice of virginity testing. It is more of an inquiry on the practice, its notions, and the value that society holds against women through their bodies.I hold dear the idea of an individual examining her own virginity, both literally and metaphorically, something like self-reflecting, seeking to perceive yourself from your perception. This idea creates a feeling of acceptance and comfort in one’s skin, shadowing feelings of shame, hate, and other negative self-imagery that stem from women viewing themselves through the lens of society. I appreciate how clay allows me to feel the work as I make it. Like my interpretation of Ukuzihlola, I feel and see parts of myself through the process of making art and from that, I choose how to respond to the negative views of society associated with female sexuality
