iYeza is the Xhosa word for medicine. It usually references healing substances derived from plants. In the broader sense, iYeza is a substance that is meant to ward off dark spiritual energy and invite good.
These spiritual energies are intrinsic to my work, which includes recognising how our bodies and spirits are tied to the earth and waters, on and in which we were born and raised. The land and water is healing on its own, it is medicine, it produces medicine.
My work draws on my personal memory of growing up, and my journey as a traditional healer. It considers the flora of Southern Africa and its use in traditional medicines, rituals and daily life, and how this has changed over time. Through these pieces, I hope to reset thinking about ourselves as indigenous people and our plants. This is about healing our spirits, the spirits of our ancestors and recognising the power in what our land has gifted to us.