SBYA VISUAL ART – BUHLEBEZWE SIWANI
Our bodies are tied to the lands, oceans and waters where we are born.
Our spirit connects to the land and waters and mostly to the plants. This work describes the flora of Southern Africa, how it is used in traditional medicines, rituals, daily life and sustenance.
The plants and the people of this land cannot live devoid from each other. The pieces explore how the flora have evolved over time and what that means to the people. For too long, plants have been taken for granted, misused or misunderstood. This experience offers a way to reset our thinking about ourselves as indigenous people as well as our plants, which have been sought after for years. This is about healing our spirits and those of our ancestors and recognising the power in what our land has gifted to us so that we can heal. Instead of vilifying the plant-life let us make links between it and modern life, thus harnessing our past in order to move forward.