Zizipho Poswa's landmark exhibition, "iMbewu (The Seed)," is currently on display at Southern Guild's new Tribeca space in New York. The exhibition, which runs from June 26 to September 2, 2026, presents a survey of Poswa's ceramic works spanning nearly a decade, from 2016 to 2026, and includes three new sculptures. The title "iMbewu" is an isiXhosa word for "seed," symbolizing transformation, continuity, and new beginnings, reflecting Poswa's artistic practice as generative and evolving. It explores themes of womanhood, ancestry, cultural memory, and the ceremonial lives of Black women, whose narratives have often been excluded from institutional archives.
A central theme in Poswa's work is "Umthwalo," the isiXhosa word for "load," which refers to the custom of women carrying heavy objects on their heads. This ongoing series, started in 2020, meditates on the visible and invisible responsibilities borne by women, transforming these acts of carrying into architectural totems. Poswa, born in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, South Africa, and trained in textile design, uses hand-coiling techniques to create her sculptures, which are deeply rooted in the lived experiences, ceremonial practices, and matriarchal knowledge systems of Southern African women. Her art honors the tenderness, ingenuity, and daily rituals of cultural preservation passed down through generations.
The exhibition is accompanied by a monograph published by Southern Guild, documenting the evolution of Poswa's practice over the last ten years. "iMbewu (The Seed)" is Poswa's sixth solo exhibition with Southern Guild and her first in their Tribeca location. Throughout her work, she frequently incorporates symbolic motifs such as cow horns, braided coiffures, stacked vessels, gathered loads, hair combs, ukhamba beer pots, and bronze crests. These elements transform everyday rituals into powerful monuments of dignity and resilience. A public program including a book launch and a panel discussion with Assistant Curator Jenée-Daria Strand is scheduled for July 1st.
