Thobile Mavuso

BoMgwalo , 2025, Installation views

BoMgwalo

by Thobile Mavuso

20 March

BoMgwalo, derived from isiNdebele, means “those of Umgwalo.” This phrase signifies that the relationship between Umgwalo and Abagwali operates beyond just making. It asserts that Umgwalo is intrinsic to the very being of its makers–Abagwali. The artists and the art form are inseparable; Ukugwala is not only an act of making but a profound assertion of identity and existence. This body of work is an ancestral honouring of the encoded and preserved practice across generations—as a cultural and spiritual artistic tradition, and a knowledge system. At the same time, BoMgwalo critically engages with the decline of this practice and its positioning within the broader contemporary art world. It challenges prevailing narratives that dismiss or marginalize indigenous artistic traditions, insisting on Umgwalo's rightful place within contemporary discourse.

Photography by Reshma Chhiba