DURBAN-based potter, Phumlani Nyawo is well-known for his hand-crafted and smoke-fired Nguni bulls.
Hailing from the small town of Pongola on the KZN north coast, Nyawo’s hand-crafted works of art were inspired by his late father.
In 2018 his work was recognised at the Innibos National Craft Exhibition.
“Every teacher at school used to encourage me and say I should go to art school one day, because from a young age I used to draw in pencil and crayons,” he said.
While crafting Nyawo listens to music.
ALSO READ:VIDEO: Phansi Museum to host fun-filled weekend activities
“I believe this is what I was born to do, making crafts. I began to exhibit back in 2012. I started to take my work seriously and started making art as my living. I used to attend a lot of different courses on art however they were short courses, but I learnt a lot from them,” he said.
Nyawo, who is a resident artist at the Phansi Museum, said the clay he used to create his art work was significant to his craft.
“Clay is an important part of the IsiZulu culture as it also gives us a viewpoint into how our ancestors lived and the tools they used to make pots, cups and clay beer pot (ukhamba in Isizulu),” said Nyawo.
ALSO READ: Phansi Museum offers tours, classes
Furthermore, he said a potter’s piece takes an average of four days to complete, from first mixing the clay to the final shine. After moulding and creating the artwork, he fires the clay and does the final polishing with the special stone.
He said he is proud of his heritage and he would like to pass on his skills to the next generation.
“My goal is for the government to work with me so I can share my skills with people and high school learners,” he said.
* Notice: Coronavirus reporting at Caxton Local Media aims to combat fake news
Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19. Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za). Do you want to receive news alerts via Telegram? Send us a message (not an sms) with your name and surname to 060 532 5535. You can also join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. PLEASE NOTE: If you have signed up for our news alerts you need to save the Berea Mail Telegram number as a contact to your phone, otherwise you will not receive our alerts Here’s where you can download Telegram on Android or Apple.
