(Clay vessel by
Ntombi Nala)
Just opened at the Phansi Museum is earth-water-fire - a festival of clay.
In today’s tightly controlled museum environments, one
doesn’t expect to come across shelves filled from floor to-ceiling and
wall-to-wall with closely packed ceramic pots and artefacts such as can be seen
at the Phansi Museum in Glenwood. The Museum houses one of the finest
collections of African and Zulu clay vessels in South Africa. The collection of
clay figurines, pots, and artefacts vary from small and fragile to large,
elaborate burnished, carved and embossed ceramic vessels to rough, oversized
jars and containers. One thing is certain, however; the collection
appropriately signifies the prominence and importance of clay in the daily
lives and rituals of a people who had a special engagement and connection with
clay.
Clay has often been referred to as the oldest medium and one
of the few mentioned in the Bible (man is formed from clay) and as a material that
has created masses of objects, both historical and archaeological. The
exhibition will celebrate the diversity and characteristics of clay; the
digging, the shaping and moulding, the decorating and the firing.
The exhibition will also honour two prominent potters, Andrew
Walford and Ntombi Nala. Although both artists reside in KwaZulu Natal, they
come from two very different worlds; Andrew from the rolling foothills of
Shongweni and Ntombi from the rural area of Entumeni near Eshowe, yet, together
they have succeeded in reaching the same heights of virtuosity, aesthetic
beauty and functionality in their work.
Andrew Walford is arguably the leading exponent in South
Africa of the Anglo-Oriental ceramic tradition and has been referred to as a
hands-on, intuitive artist who is singularly involved in every aspect of making
the ceramic item; from digging his own clay in the Drakensberg Mountain to
using sand for glazes from KwaXimba valley, water from a spring in Nshongweni Kwazulu
and firing in his three oil-fired kilns. In 2013, Andrew received a gold award
at the Mungyeong Chasabal Festival in Korea. He has travelled to England,
Sweden, Germany, Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Japan and Korea where he
exhibited, taught, viewed and practised art.
Ntombi Nala comes from a long line of potters from the Nala
family. She is known for her very large
clay vessels that can take four to six weeks to construct. Her vessels are smoked in a pit fire to
blacken them and then polished with oil. Her large burnished vessels with
intricate design are known for their extremely glossy shine and often feature
very small mouths and foot proportions. Ntombi also incorporates beadwork on
her ceramics which requires a large amount of preparation and planning. Her
work is featured in numerous national collections and retails from a number of
international outlets.
To supplement the exhibition, a selection of historical
hand-built, pit-fired vessels from the Phansi Museum’s permanent collection and
works by late Maggie Mikula will be juxtaposed with a selection of contemporary
vessels created in the same genre by ceramic artists from Rorke's Drift, Clive
Sithole, Phumlani Nyawo and Frank Ntunya. Also included on the exhibition is a
special collection of traditional Zulu clay toys and figurines.
The exhibition forms part of a festival of clay which will
include workshops and demonstrations presented in collaboration with the KZNSA
and the BAT Centre.
earth-water-fire closes
on July 30 and is open to the public. Phansi Museum is situated at 500 Esther
Roberts Road in Glenwood, Durban. For more information contact the director, Sharon
Crampton, on 031 206 2889 or email: admin@phansi.com
or visit www.phansi.com
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