IMVELAPHI (Origin / Birthplace), 2025: Themba Khumalo

Imvelaphi - a word closely translated as "origin" or "birthplace" - extends beyond a physical beginning to encompass the roots of religion, culture, and identity. My latest exhibition explores these interconnected themes, focusing on the act of honouring and remembering past cultural practices, and tracing their continuous evolution into modern life. The land itself is a central witness, bearing the marks and scars of this history.

This presentation also serves as a preservation of language, contrasted with image-making using natural materials: charcoal and coffee. These materials are deeply symbolic. Coffee mimics the rich tones of the earth (Umhlaba), connecting us to the land. Charcoal, a product of fire, represents the marking of legacy and the preservation of history, much like the ancient scripts and images created by our forefathers using organic matter.

I approach these themes with the belief that mark-making can serve as both a physical and metaphysical record of these contested spaces. My work intends to challenge viewers to reconsider their relationship to land, particularly in a post-apartheid context, and to reflect on how it shapes our collective identity and individual histories.

Printmaking is central to my process, as it mirrors how land bears layered histories. Techniques like etching or woodcuts require intentional, physical force, echoing the scars and stories embedded in the earth. The repetition inherent in printmaking reflects history’s cyclical nature. The recurring figure in white represents uMthandazi, the spiritual cleanser, healer, and messenger of prayer to the Higher power, whose prominent presence throughout the work underscores this spiritual dimension.