SIMPHIWE MBUNYUZA: UMTHONYAMA

David Kordansky Gallery is pleased to announce UMTHONYAMA, a solo exhibition of new ceramic sculpture by Simphiwe Mbunyuza.

January 16 - February 22, 2025

Mbunyuza’s work stems from a personal and spiritual exploration of long-performed ritual and iconography associated with the Xhosa people of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Throughout his practice, the artist has developed a unique approach to his materials, in which he’s able to achieve uncommon textures and glazes that highlight his grasp of both the material itself and the processes and temperatures in which clay is fired. Each sculpture incorporates distinct markings in the shapes of houses, animals, garments, and ridged or stippled patterns, arranged in large swaths and demarcated by contrasting colors and impressed linework.

The exhibition takes its name from a term used to define the rectangular section within a family’s livestock enclosure where familial rituals take place. By designating this space as a kind of divine site, it maintains the spiritual potency, so that reinterpretations of the physical space may retain some of that sanctity. The physical and intangible aspects of the umthonyama work together to help participants attune to their ancestors. Family members may fast, separate from their partners, or alter other aspects of their daily life prior to the performance of the ritual in order to shift their focus entirely on accessing the deepest wells of their spirituality.

Throughout the exhibition, figurative forms act as conduits to familial ancestors. This selection of new works primarily focuses on two different scales; the larger sculptures, measuring roughly five feet tall, represent relatives who would have crossed over generations ago and whose names are often invoked throughout religious ceremonies. The smaller works on view, however, offer abstracted visualizations of the less developed or younger spirits inhabited by living relatives, including Mbunyuza and his immediate family. The placement of the works within the exhibition and the relationship of the various forms in relation to one another offer a tangible access point to an otherwise exclusive, deeply spiritual world.

At the heart of Mbunyuza’s project is an intention to honor and amplify the people and places he holds dear. The artist channels an intuition-led process to guide him through every stage of making. Work is completed in response to impulses whenever they arise so that, in a way, the circumstances of each piece’s creation carry a divine quality in and of themselves. The physical manipulation of clay—paired with subconscious or overt visions and ideas—moves the artist to create unique works rich with color and deeply rooted in cultural meaning.