Made In Our Image: Ujali

Conversation with a branch and the collapsing world

Early this year South Africa experienced waves of civil unrest and looting amid the notorious Covid-19 and lockdown regulations. My father passed away at the same time. In my tradition, when someone dies, their families have to go and collect their loved one’s spirit from the place where they drew they last breath. Using a branch of tree to carry the spirit, I had to converse with branch (spirit) and guide it back home.

In this work I illustrate the journey I had to take to the hospital and back. I also depict the chaos I had to navigate through to reach my destination. I used the stove as metaphor for the longing of warmth and comfort during moaning period. The blue colour is a symbol of how lonely and cold my world was after my dad passed on.