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30 Jul 2020 (1 min) read
"I am making my own new alphabet. For each symbol there is an energy that comes with it."
On her extended stay in Cape Town during the worldwide lockdown, Dutch trend forecaster Li Edelkoort went in search of hope and new paradigms of making. She found both at the studio of ceramicist Andile Dyalvane, who is hard at work on his next collection. Dyalvane has embarked on a wide-ranging project to develop an alphabet of hand-painted symbols recording the fundamental aspects of Xhosa identity. The system of glyphs forms the basis of a major new ceramic series, titled Ithongo, which will be exhibited at Southern Guild in December 2020.
Watch the video of Li interviewing Dyalvane about his rural childhood, his role as a healer and the animism that roots his practice.