Ceramicist Chuma Maweni meditates on his cultural and familial origins with 'iMvelaphi'

Known for his mastery of wheel-thrown ceramics, Chuma Maweni is showcasing his first solo exhibition titled iMvelaphi at Southern Guild gallery's Cape Town location, where he translates Xhosa pottery traditions into contemporary collectible designs, creating unique forms and large-scale applications. On view from November 14, 2024 – February 27, 2025, iMvelaphi showcases his largest collection of handcrafted art furniture, lighting designs and vessels. As Southern Guild mentions in the design exhibition’s description, "This body of work is a meditation on Maweni's familial and cultural origins, drawing links between the cyclical expansion of life and the spiritual symbology at the heart of his own studio practice."

According to the gallery, "The exhibition’s isiXhosa title translates to 'where I come from', encompassing both one's literal birthplace and the totality of biographical experiences that have formed one’s identity. In looking back, Maweni considers not only his personal trajectory growing up in the rural Eastern Cape, but his evolution of ceramic forms as well. Both are bound by the reflexive rhythms of circularity—the idea that changes emanate and growth ripples out from a central point, looping back and echoing outwards rather than proceeding in a linear progression."

In the 1980s, Maweni and his family relocated to KwaPayne village in rural Transkei to escape the turmoil of anti-Apartheid riots. He traces his craft to childhood memories of sculpting clay bulls along the riverbanks, later studying ceramics at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, where he graduated in 2002.

Since establishing his studio in 2016 in Cape Town, South Africa, contemporary artist Maweni has built a thriving practice defined by technical discipline and creative refinement. His foray into ceramic furniture designs began with the burnished, smoke-fired Tear Drop Canister series, which showcased his focus on pure form and exceptional craftsmanship. These canisters led to larger vessels, culminating in his iconic Imbizo table and stool set, which then inspired a wider collection of stools, plinths and tables made from black stoneware clay.

Working at the wheel, nearly everything Maweni creates starts as a vessel that either opens up or closes around a central point, the gallery notes. For his functional art pieces, He draws inspiration from the prevalence of circular forms in traditional African design, citing examples such as the rural rondavels with a central supporting pillar called an 'intsika,' the 'ukhamba' pot used for drinking umqombothi (traditional beer), and the kraal enclosures for livestock at the heart of each homestead.

As the gallery's press release states, "Working with meticulous precision, Maweni's furniture and sculptural works are defined by an exceptional sense of balance, their dark silhouettes articulated by crisp ridges and bands of carved patterns. 'The wheel is the master for me," he says. "I have to negotiate and communicate with it. I have to stay alert to its rhythm. I can't allow anything to disrupt my focus—the movement of my hands and the steady pressure of my foot on the pedal."

Creating wheel-thrown ceramic forms requires the maker to become a vessel themselves—contained, firm and still, with mind and body in balance. The ceramicist’s hands serve as the tools: a fist pressed evenly from above centres the spinning clay, a folded index finger pulls up the sides and cupped palms shape the form.

Maweni's contemporary designs begin with concave and convex volumes, varied in shape, scale and surface patterns, seamlessly joined to create objects. Among them is a 1.5-metre-tall chandelier made entirely of clay. Composed of nine undulating forms leading to a wide-flaring shade, it is named Maweni after the ceramic artist's great-grandfather, who gave the family their last name. Many other ceramic artworks in the exhibition are named after significant ancestors, collectively honouring their lineage and regenerating their memory for future generations.

iMvelaphi introduces new table designs by Maweni, blending ceramic with metal and wood. Unlike previous works where he carved timber tops, these tables feature horizontal surfaces made from clay tiles. The tiles are cut from large clay slabs etched with geometric motifs, creating an interplay of positive and negative shapes. After drying for weeks and firing, the tiles are reassembled like a puzzle and attached to the tabletop in their original configuration. Through a meticulous process, keeping the tiles small prevents warping in the kiln.

"Whether engraving two-dimensional patterns or conceptualising composite designs from individual forms, Maweni’s process is iterative: one pattern gives rise to another, a new shape begets a series of stools, tables, chairs. A feedback loop born out of the natural rhythms that govern our existence and in the most ancient of materials—clay itself," Southern Guild shares.