Project
Death by Flowers
2015
Color has a language of its own.
The Ndzundza Ndebele people of Mpumalanga and Gauteng in South Africa
use color and pattern to send secret messages to their people
through vivid and geometrical house painting.
The Women are the painters.
The Women use house painting to express cultural identity
and to proclaim who they are in society, and in the larger world.
The paintings can change over time,
capturing a milestone or even just a mood or feeling.
In Ndebele house painting, there are five main colors,
Red, Golden Yellow, Blue, Green and Pink.
Ndebele house paintings use multi colored symbols that express
prayer, identity, emotions and marriage.
Color Combinations can communicate power,
spirituality, or even be a call to action.
Womanhood is seen as a reflection of
style, individuality and craftsmanship.
Womanhood has its own distinctive style of dress
Ndebele women use fashion and decor to tell their stories
Ndebele women express their identity through
art and fashion.
The house painting tradition is passed down from
generation to generation from the mothers.
Though the daughters are heavily influenced by their mothers, they are encouraged to also cultivate their own individual style of painting
The girls are initiated through art.
They share their own unique stories,
and build upon the styles passed down to them by their mothers.
The passing down of technique
and culture is
a rite of passage.
Art is Power
An Ndebele woman's clothing is a
reflection of status
The Ndebele paintings and the beautiful women of the Ndebele tribe
inspired this collection.
Color, an unspoken language.
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