Xirilo Wayne Ngobeni, Ntakuseni, 2023, Ceramic Earthenware, 120 (H) x 100 (W) x 100 (D) cm
My mother’s passing inspired me to explore cultural perceptions of funeral urns within the African context. In most African cultures, cremation is believed to block the spirit of the dead and therefore taboo. My work revisits the ancient idea that the body and spirit are contained within the funeral urn. The anthropomorphic appearance of the funeral urns I create provides me with an opportunity to celebrate my late mother’s physical and spiritual existence. Along with this, I explore the ritual of scarification and incorporate distinct markings. My late mother was the only one amongst her siblings who underwent the ritual process of scarification, which significantly improved her eyesight. Scarification in my artwork is drawn from the ritual process and is not meant for bodily adornment but for healing.
Xirilo Wyne Ngobeni is a ceramicist born in Ha-Mashau Doli in Limpopo and who is now based in Pretoria, Gauteng. He obtained a cum laude in his Postgraduate Diploma in Fine Arts at Tshwane University of Technology where he is currently pursuing a master’s degree. Ngobeni has taken part in many significant exhibitions across South Africa.