Abathwa
Stoneware clay
180 x 140 mm
About the artwork
Earthy, washed and gritty, mud-textured walls characterise Joe’s work. The shape of the vessels “echo the dance and silhouette of my Khoi people” while certain pieces hint at inspiringly colourful Southern African cultures. “I believe that clay found me and helped me understand the meaning of peace that transcends understanding,” Joe explains.
Chantell Lungiswa Joe Is A Creative Artist Who Incorporates Art, Fashion, Design, Philosophy And Heritage Into Her Work, Using Design Mediums To Express Creative Ideas And Celebrate African Aesthetics. A Freelance Costume Designer Includes Feature Films High Fantasy, Flat Land And Most Recently HyperLink. Both A Curator And The Founder Of Inxwala Slow Market, Inxwala Is A Celebration Of The First Harvest; A Space Where Mostly African Women From Different Townships Come Together Carrying Their Harvest To Sell To Potential Shoppers. Working With Clay Has Been Her Most Current Exploration. A Culmination Of All Her Experiences Comes Together In Sharing With You Her Heritage, Thoughts, Ways, And Simple Techniques With This Ancient Medium Of Making.
About Lungijoe Ceramics
My ceramics practice is intimately bound with notions of sensibility, and is linked to my sense of perception as a means to gather knowledge. Clay has taught me to not just listen with my ears or only see with my eyes, but has taught me to use every part of my body as a conduit, ready to receive and transmit information. I work intuitively, immerse myself in the material, allowing the process to unfold.
Of mixed heritage, my lineage includes AmaXhosa, Zambian and Khoi ancestors. When I create, I’m always conscious of a female presence which I recognize as my late grandmother who opened my eyes to the plight of her Khoi people.
My work is characterized by earthy washed and gritty mud textured walls. The shape of some of my vessels echo the dance and silhouette of my Khoi people. Yet other pieces reveal hints of the colorful Southern African cultures that inspire me.
I believe that clay found me and helped me understand the meaning of ‘peace that transcends understanding’.