The Art of Story Telling

Iintsomi

The Rebirth of Forsaken Tales

My artwork explores the mysteries of the mythical stories known in Xhosa as Iintsomi, meaning fairy tales.  In my work, I recreate and reshape the characters that are found within these different tales.  Each one of them contains a teaching. The body of work is aimed at restoring lost teachings that many have been neglected and seen as no longer useful.  

The stories of these tales were normally told to small groups of people.  It is important that these tales have one theme, as it keeps the story brief and simple.  The themes found in these works range from anger, jealousy, hatred and depression, to theft and negligence.  The images are meant to engage the audience’s imaginations, and bring accross the mood of the story.

Iintsomi

Umfazi Onobukhwele
(A JEALOUS WOMAN ATTEMPTS TO KILL HER CO-WIFE)

A woman is jealous of her co-wife, and this senior wife repeatedly attempts to kill her junior. She feeds seemingly poison pumpkins to her, but the junior wife thrives. When the senior wife sprinkles the junior wife's blankets with poison, a fantasy voice warns the intended victim. In the end, the senior wife gives up.

“Zingisa, Umtshakazi”

Umfazi Onobukhwele series

“Kholisa, Umfazi Onobukhwele”

Umfazi Onobukhwele series

Amathambo Enkosikazi Ajika Abengumthi

(A WOMAN'S BONES BECOME A TREE)

In the process of undergoing a transformation, a woman moves into a fantasy world in which the real world is reordered. With the assistance of fantasy characters, she goes through a change. The central character must learn how to behave in the nether world, or she will be ruined by the evil force that lurks there. Helpers often show the woman the way and in the process train her. A bird makes it possible for her to participate in contests and, more beautiful than any of the other contestants, she succeeds and, in the process, escapes the efforts of her stepmother and stepsister to destroy her. When she is ultimately killed by them, a bird emerges from her head, then becomes the transformed young woman.

“Thandokazi”

Amathambo Enkosikazi Ajika Abengumthi Series

“Milisuthando”

Amathambo Enkosikazi Ajika Abengumthi Series

Indoda Ifaka iXhoba Layo Engxoweni

(A MAN PUTS HIS VICTIM INTO A BAG)

A girl is in the cornfield, keeping the birds from the corn. A strange being comes to her and takes all of her belongings. Then a boy comes along, and she gives him some sugarcane. The owner of the fields asks the girl why she has given away all of these things, and angrily puts her into a bag and takes her to be destroyed by some ogres. In the end, the girl is rescued.

“Mlondolozi”

Indoda Ifaka iXhoba Layo Engxoweni Series

“Nandipha”

Indoda Ifaka iXhoba Layo Engxoweni Series

Dulube, Inkomo kaTata

(SOME MEN SEEK TO SLAUGHTER THE OX, DULUBE)

A father insists that his son take the cattle to a far-off place for water. The boy is afraid to go to that place because there are ogres there. But the father insists. The ogres then force the boy to speak to Dulube, a great ox in the herd, to make the cattle do their bidding. The boy sings a song to the ox, and the ox then does what the ogres instruct it to do. In the end, this pattern leads to Dulube's destruction. But the boy gathers the bones of the ox and sings the song; the ox comes to life, and the boy and the herd of cattle escape.

“Dulube”

Dulube, Inkomo kaTata Series

“Mongezi”

Dulube, Inkomo kaTata Series

Intaka Yamasi

(A BIRD DEFECATES AMASI)

A captured bird attempts to liberate itself by boasting that it defecates amasi (curdled milk). Each time it is asked to do provide this milk, it moves closer to its freedom. After the bird escapes, the father finds out that his boy is responsible for the birds escape. So they take the boy and throw him off a cliff, but the water spirit at the bottom of the cliff saves the boys life and he becomes one with the water spirits.

“Phumlani”

Intaka Yamasi Series

"Intaka Yamasi"

Intaka Yamasi Series