A mix of colour and culture at Everard Read
ROSEBANK – Art lovers were treated to some colourful displays ofXitsonga culture while they themselves dressed in traditional attire.
A tradition filled with colour came alive through the artwork of Phillemon Hlungwani at the Everard Read Gallery in Rosebank.
The work titled Ntsako Wa Xibelani is an exhibition depicting an unfolding day in Giyani (a village in Limpopo) that leads toward a big event. The exhibition is a celebration of Hlungwani’s own Xitsonga culture, but it also highlights the complex histories and suppression of African traditional cultures at large.
Looking around the displayed works at the gallery, viewers observed that they have a particular focus on women which seems to be a predominant theme in Hlungwani’s creations. The women pose as symbols of power, protectors of culture and as central figures who continue to stimulate communities whilst they rebuild themselves on their own terms.
“Xibelani is predominantly worn by women, a phenomenon that is common, not only in the Xitsonga culture but by African women as a whole. The body of work culminates in the celebration and the beauty of Xibelani, not only as a striking and colourful traditional garment but also as a powerful uniform that represents a state of unity,” Hlungwani said.
Art viewers socialised and were later on treated to a Xitsonga dance which they enjoyed immensely. The exhibition will be on show until 15 June.
Details: The Everard Read Gallery is at 6 Jellicoe Avenue in Rosebank.
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