Phansi Museum’s first major exhibition of 2018, The Art of Healing, was opened last Friday by Raymond Perrier, the Director of the Denis Hurley Centre. The exhibition consists of beaded artworks, clothes, fertility dolls, and other paraphernalia used (and in many cases, actually made) by izangoma. The pieces on display have been borrowed from collectors, as well as the museum’s own permanent collection, with many of the artworks having belonged to the late Nester Zondi, a practicing isangoma. Some of the pieces were also sourced through the grandchildren of izangoma, with the oldest piece, an isangoma’s hat, dating back to 1910.
While many of the pieces are practical objects that would have been used in the day-to-day life of the izangoma, the exhibition also considers the role that art and beauty play in the healing process – the objects are functional, but also art pieces in their own right.
The exhibition runs until the 30th April 2018. If you’re in the Glenwood area (or even if you’re not!) take a trip down to the Phansi Museum to experience your own bit of healing!
Image courtesy of www.iol.co.za