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Documentation of contemporary culture in the Blouberg district of Limpopo Province
During 2000, Mogalakwena Craft Art started documenting local Bapedi, Bahananwa, Batlokwa and Babirwa (Northern Sotho) culture.
The introduction of electricity and cell phone reception during 2006 to the remote area of Blouberg has accelerated the transition to urban living in the local rural communities. Today this area bears witness to the stark contrast between modern urban and traditional rural values. Here the strong interplay between the two value systems provides a fertile environment to further cultural research and understanding of the imminent amalgamation of the traditional, mainly oral Northern Sotho culture, with western culture.
This fusion of cultures is showcased in the artwork created at the Mogalakwena Craft Art Village. It represents scenes of daily life in the rural communities where indigenous knowledge and tradition is as vibrant as the aspiration for modern living. These culture panels and artist books document pertinent aspects of life in the Blouberg area: customs and rituals, religion, health issues and healing, leisure and entertainment, preparation of food and recipes, sport, dress and adornment, education, skills and professions.
In these works of art, oral knowledge and history is translated into images and written text. The artworks are referred to as culture panels and artist books, for example the Book on Governance. The process of creating a culture panel includes firstly gathering oral knowledge and history and creating an image that represents this knowledge. The image is then hand drawn on cloth and embroidered. Thereafter the Northern Sotho text is carefully written and embroidered next to the image. Finally this text is meticulously translated into English. All the panels and books are photographed and archived. The hand embroidered panels and artist books are exhibited nationally as well as internationally.
Documenting the Northern Sotho culture in this way records this unique cultural heritage, preserves indigenous knowledge, and showcases innovative creativity. This project not only reflects the pride of Northern Sotho people, but also celebrates the richness of our South African culture.
A list of current anthropology projects operating through the Mogalakwena Research Centre, past student and volunteer projects and future project suggestions for researchers can be found by following the link anthropology projects
© 2010 by Mogalakwena Group