The moment we heard Cape Town-born artist Nosiviwe Matikinca speak about her Sasol New Signatures 2023 winning work, Ndiziphiwe – They were given to me, her passion was clear. "My piece is about those learners who come from less privileged backgrounds, and whose parents cannot afford to buy them new school shoes. They wear shoes given to them by their friends and relatives," said the artist.
The hand-me-down shoes that inspired Matikinca's installation embody the journeys walked by their respective owners. In poorer communities throughout South Africa, an old pair of shoes is not thrown away when it is still wearable, it is seen as precious. By immortalising these shoes through the ceramic slip-casting method, Matikinca was able to capture every mark, scratch, and hole. The shoes are given new purpose as ceramic sculptures; symbolically restored, while remaining very breakable. This fragility is a metaphor for the precarity of the public schooling system of our country, where many black learners are subjected to sub-standard education. Read more about Matikinca's winning work Ndiziphiwe – They were given to me here.
As the overall winner of the prestigious Sasol New Signatures art competition last year, Matikinca was given R100,000 in cash and the chance to present a solo exhibition at the Pretoria Art Museum in 2024, which has now come to fruition.
The fragile clay castings of school shoes again feature in Matikinca's new body of work, but take on a greater significance in the context of a solo exhibition, Ukungalingani Kwezemfundo (Educational Inequality). While working towards this solo, Matikinca explored other techniques and mediums including printmaking, casting in different materials, and carving.
"For my solo exhibition, I have decided to continue the narrative I began in 2023 and highlight and educate the public about the challenges faced by learners who come from underprivileged backgrounds," says Matikinca. The wooden tables featured in Matikinca's exhibition were gathered around campus and her community, highlighting another crucial item that's often in short supply. "My artworks portray the overcrowding of classes and the lack of school tables, leaving learners to share with others or use broken tables," says the artist. Sometimes students work on bare metal frames, or prop up the disjointed tabletops on bricks.
"The carvings on these tables commemorate the presence of learners who were distracted due to the overcrowding and noise from their classmates," Matikinca explains, pointing to an outlet for untold frustrations and overwhelm. The embossed prints titled Ndilinde iGrant, meaning 'I am waiting for the grant', echoes the response of many parents when educators ask after the absence of stationery for their children.
These pieces are pertinent and personal; during their creation, Matikinca reflected on her own experience growing up and what she witnessed at school. "Art is my voice," she tells us. "It is where I feel I can put my point across. Some people write books, some write songs, and others make movies. From a young age, when I couldn’t communicate my feelings or pain, I would just draw, paint, or make an object. I guess I always saw art or creating as giving myself a voice to tell my story, or the stories of others."
Ukungalingani Kwezemfundo (Educational Inequality) coincides with the Sasol New Signatures exhibition at the Pretoria Art Museum, showcasing 139 works selected by judges across the country. The 2024 competition winners will be announced on Wed, Sep 4, while Matikinca's exhibition runs from Thu, Sep 5 – Sun, Nov 3.
