About

Beadwork is a skill practiced by women in South Africa for centuries. UBUHLE is giving new life to this traditional art. Often figurative, these light paintings carry with them a multitude of abstract symbols. The delicacy of the design, the dynamics of the compositions and the brilliance of the colours belie the months of work behind each beaded canvas. Works by UBUHLE are part of the permanent collections of nine museums in South Africa and the United States, including the Smithsonian Institution.

The beaded paintings by Zondlile Zondo, Zandile, Ntombephi and Thando Ntobela take us on an …