Pitika Ntuli’s 45 bone sculpture exhibition receives high praise at the Virtual National Arts Festival.
South African sculptor, poet and writer Pitika Ntuli’s “Sangoma” bone sculptures culminate in “highest artistic achievement”.
The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Naledi Pandor, found Pitika Ntuli’s 45 bone sculptures exhibition "Azibuyele Emasisweni", which translates to "Return to the Source" to be “one of highest of artistic achievements in the history of solo exhibitions in our country.”
During the virtual opening of the exhibition, as part of the National Arts Festival, Pandor suggested that “the uniqueness of Ntuli’s work arises from a deep pool of indigenous knowledge and wisdom and centuries-old cultural tradition."
She added: “This exhibition comes at the right time. The emphasis on healing has particular significance in the midst of the Covid pandemic and the uncertainty it has brought with it, which have given us an opportunity to reflect on our value systems and what we call the normal way of doing things.”
As the title of the exhibition suggests, the 78-year-old artists is returning to ‘the source’ of his expression. In turn, he is encouraging society to return to the ‘source’ of African spiritualism and knowledge as the means of resolving corruption, greed, slavery and poverty.
3 Jul 2020
