Ndebele Art Tour

Ever since I first laid eyes on examples of it more than two years ago, I had been trying to find someone to give me an entree to visit the actual artists' homes and other buildings in the Ndebele homelands which display this beautiful art. It had been a mission.

Whenever I would meet Ndebele art collectors and artists at markets selling their work, I made inquiries, but no luck. Finally, I "found" Helene Smuts and she turned me on to Petrus Mahlangu (cell 083 675 8955), a guide and the curator of the Kghodwana Cultural Village near  KwaMhlanga, who would be able to take me to see all the places I had so desperately wanted to visit. The Nzunza Royal Palace, the Ndebele Foundation, the painted Roman Catholic Church, and especially the homes and studios of the most renowned artists.

We met Petrus about two hours northeast of Johannesburg in Mpumalanga in a place called Emthambothini. Close to Siyabuswa, don't even bother looking for it on your GPS. It just ain't there. Petrus emailed a hand-drawn map with our meeting place and we still got hopelessly lost somewhere north of Pretoria after the Zambezi turn-off. We had to call him at our meeting time and admit defeat. Luckily it only took a little bit of backtracking to get us to the right place. Petrus had called ahead and made appointments with all the sites on our list and arranged for keys to open the church.

First stop, Sophie Mahlangu. Petrus had only just found out that morning that there was a festival going on that day at a chief's house and Sophie was leading her troupe of performers. So in order to catch her at home, we had to rush to get there before she left on the party bus. We just made it.  See you later Sophie!

vintage apron!

Luckily her daughter stayed behind so we could peruse her studio shop at our leisure. We were able to buy some of Sophie's beautiful bead work as well as a vintage goatskin apron. Vince had seen a very similar one in Cape Town recently for R160,000. We got ours for R2000! He was psyched. (I was psyched too because I would rather give my money directly to the community.)

Sophie's beautiful bead work

Next stop a tour past the Royal Palaces and a stop at the homestead of Francine Ndimande. One of the founding forces behind the Ndebele Foundation, Francine is also responsible for the establishment and decoration of the Roman Catholic Church in town. We visited her home, the Foundation and the Roman Catholic Church nearby. We met her daughter, her husband and many other members of her family.

 



Unfortunately Francine passed away a couple of years ago but she has left quite a legacy within her community and family. We saw the grave where Francine is buried. As is the custom, the deceased are buried in the homestead's cattle kraal.

We brought Lou & Serge with us for the day and we had the help of Francine's grandson who acted as our dachshund handler. He was the best!















We were so happy to get to visit the Ndebele Foundation in person. A cultural center used for community training in the arts of painting and bead work, its existence guarantees Francine's artistic legacy will live on.

Next stop Francine's masterpiece, the Roman Catholic Church. Of course we were given an opportunity to purchase at both her home and at the Foundation. And we did. Some beaded dessert forks and other implements from Francine's daughter. A wicker placemat with a beaded border made by Francine herself. And a beautiful Easter egg and stand for my Ndebele Easter. Just what I was looking for!

Francine's placemat and her daughter Ellen's beaded cutlery

Francine's daughter Joyce made my egg and stand!

Our next stop was to the most famous Ndebele artist alive today. Esther Mahlangu. We toured her home, her art studio and school and her guest lodge. At this point we had run out of money but luckily Esther takes an EFT! Vince was able to transfer money using his cellphone. (I can't tell you how surreal it feels to be transferring money electronically via a smartphone while standing in a thatched hut in Mpumalanga. The gods must be crazy!) We bought a canvas painting and another Easter egg!

a canvas by Esther

Esther's egg

the Chief!

Finally Petrus took us back to see Sophie at the festival. We were treated like celebrities there! Everyone asked to take a picture with us including the chief and his mother.

the Chief's mother

The chief's mother runs a community foundation for victims and orphans of HIV. We donated to her foundation and she gave us beaded red ribbon pins.

We couldn't stay long and Petrus had to do a lot of explaining and apologizing for us. I felt bad for him but we had a two hour drive back to Joburg to look forward to and plans for the evening.













Here comes Sophie!

Sophie!

I could have jumped for joy like this little dancer!