Noria Mabasa

Written by Sam Mathe
Tuesday, 16 August 2011 12:48

Born in a traditional Venda community in what is now Limpopo, world-renowned sculptor Noria Mabasa defied tradition when she switched from clay to wood, the latter medium being traditionally an exclusive male preserve.

The first phase of her artistic expression is clearly rooted in the Venda women’s art and craft tradition of using mud and clay to mould household items such as cooking pots and water vessels that are also used to store traditional beverages such as sorghum beer.

But crafting kitchen utensils was not her destiny. Rather, she used clay as a medium of artistic expression – to carve colourful doll-like figurines inspired by dreams – images of rural women in traditional wear and men in Western attire to reflect their city experiences. In between these gender stereotypes she added to her colourful iconography another type: the Western woman – nurses, prostitutes, white females – who stands independent from tradition.

But Mabasa demonstrated her resourcefulness and sense of independence when she broke with tradition and took on wood. This was the second phase in her artistic journey, and, remarkably, unlike the small, ordinary-looking clay statues, her wood pieces are sizeable, complex and expressive masterpieces inspired by history, mythology and current affairs rather than dreams. This book is an authoritative account on the life and art of one of South Africa’s leading female sculptor.

Author: Karen Press (editor)

Publisher: David Krut Publishing