Witness the remarkable transformation of printmaker Nompumelelo Edith Bukani as she emerges from the footnotes of others’ narratives and boldly claims her own story. The title of the solo exhibition, My Name Will Be Mine One Day, is a direct quote from Bukani, who is a South African visual artist known for her trademark prints, and an entrepreneur with a beading and sewing business in Makhanda.
In her groundbreaking autobiographical exhibition, My Name Will Be Mine, Bukani invites you on a journey that delves into the intricacies of her life as a Makhanda-based woman. Sketching for Bukani is a way to record her dreams and reflect on childhood memories. Bukani joined the Dakawa Art Center programme in 1992, and since then has continued with her passion to observe nature, animals and people through her drawings and prints. She designs her compositions from studying patterns in landscapes, animals, and Xhosa traditional clothing and accessory designs.
This exhibition was developed as a two-month artist’s residency with the Residencies for Artists and Writers (RAW) project that is part of the Arts of Africa and Global Souths research programme at Rhodes University. The residency and exhibition are supported by the National Research Foundation SARChI Chair programme in Geopolitics and the Arts of Africa.
Nompumelelo Edith Bukani will be present in the exhibition/studio space throughout the National Arts Festival.
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Artist: Nompumelelo Edith Bukani
Curated by Binjun Hu and Viwe Madinda
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Nompumelelo Edith Bukani was born in 1954 and grew up in the P Street location of Makhanda with five siblings. She was the third child born in her family with two older siblings. Bukani’s father, Nelson Mpofu, was a school teacher and a church priest. At a young age Bukani became a Sunday School teacher and taught dancing, singing and drama to children. Her creativity was also encouraged by her mother, Jane Mpofu, who offered sewing and knitting lessons, and who always encouraged her to pursue an education. However, by the age of seventeen, Bukani’s father arranged a marriage for his daughter, with the belief that the only aspirations for women were marriage and motherhood. After many years, Bukani found freedom in her art, and she expanded her practice during and beyond her time with the Dakawa Art Center. Nompumelelo Edith Bukani’s works have been published as illustrations for Haiku for Africa and exhibited at prestigious group exhibitions, including Grafiska Sällskape Galleri in Stockholm (1998), Boston University Art Gallery (2011), and the Norval Foundation gallery.
