Ubuhle
Ubuhle now centres on four artists – Ntombephi “Induna” Ntobela, Thando Ntobela, Zandile Ntobela and Zondlile Zondo – whose mastery of beading is on display: personal tableaux compositions called ndwangos recognized as works of art in their own right. The ndwangos are made of the black cloth reminiscent of the traditional Xhosa headscarves and skirts. Coloured Czech glass beads are meticulously hand-sewn into the material, creating intricate patterns and complex textures. The cloth is then stretched like a canvas for display.
The Ubuhle works have exhibited at international institutions including the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum in Washington D.C., the Modern Museum of Art and Design in New York and the Textile Museum of Canada in Toronto.
Following ‘Dreams Like Water’, the collective will internationally tour its exhibition ‘Ubuhle Women: Beadwork and the Art of Independence’ beginning at the Flint Institute of Arts in Flint, Michigan from 21 January to 15 April 2018 followed by the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, Virginia from 18 October 2018 to 24 February 2019.
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EXHIBITIONS
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2019
Currier Museum of Art, USA
Springfield Art Museum, USA
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2018
National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library, USA
Flint Institute of Arts, USA
Dreams Like Water, 50 Golborne, London
Chrysler Museum of Art, USA
SAATCHI, London
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2017
Dayton Art Institute, USA
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