(Pic: Some of the delightful ornaments on view)Special preview to museums, galleries and collectors on October 19.
The African Art Centre initiated a project which developed the traditional beading skills of unemployed women from two rural Bergville communities. This initiative sustains the Centre’s mission which is to acknowledge, respect, appreciate, indigenous artists and craftspeople and to promote and preserve their skills and to ensure that they earn a sustainable living from their artistic creativity and craftsmanship.
The Beaded Bergville doll training workshop was introduced to 20 women residing at Maswazini and Nyezane rural communities of Bergville in KwaZulu-Natal. Lobolile Ximba, well-known master beaded dollmaker, taught technical doll making skills which included constructing the firm internal wood structure and the moulding of the shape of the doll in fabric.
To ensure that the traditional regalia of the Bergville community was accurately captured by the participants, collector of antique crafts Nkosinathi Zondi undertook intensive research and fieldwork of the culture and the hierarchical social structures of the Bergville community prior to the workshop, to ensure that the process of dressing and embellishing the dolls was indexed and captured accordingly.
The new range of beaded dolls are available in a variety of bead colour combinations and patterns symbolising married women, newly wedded brides, engaged young women, teenage girls as well as the newly designed Bergville fertility dolls. It is hoped that the Nyezane and Maswazini beaded doll project will assist in providing a sustainable source of income for these unemployed rural women and very importantly that the introduction of this new range of beaded dolls from the Bergville area will make known and also preserve the cultural and historical heritage of the Bergville communities.
The African Art Centre invites all national museum, galleries and collectors to a special preview of the exhibition to afford them an opportunity of pre-purchasing items. The preview will be held on October 19 from 09h00 to 13h00 at the African Art Centre. A letter on museum or gallery letterhead will be required to prove that the attendee is authorized to purchase on behalf of the museum or gallery.
The African Christmas Exhibition itself will be officially opened by Kirsten Goss on October 19 and will include a special performance by Gcina Mhlope. It will then run until the end of January, 2011.
The African Art Centre is situated at 94 Florida Road, Morningside. More information from the Director, Sharon Crampton on 031 312 3805 or email africanartcentre@afri-art.co.za or visit www.afriart.co.za