Here, we ask designers to take a selfie and give us an inside look at their life.

Age: 45

Occupation: Ceramic Artist

Instagram: @zizipo_poswa

Hometown: Cape Town, South Africa

Studio Location: Salt River, Cape Town

Describe what you make: I make large-scale ceramic and bronze sculptures that are bold declarations of African womanhood. My practice is a deep invocation of my personal journey and an homage to the spiritual traditions and matriarchal stewardship of my Xhosa culture. 

The most important thing you’ve designed to date: All my pieces have a special meaning both as individual pieces as well as a collective body of work, so it’s difficult for me to say one is more important than the other. I can however say that ‘Ubuhle Bokhokho’ as a collective body of work was very compelling and meaningful, especially because of how the message it carries resonated so widely. 

Describe the problem your work solves: My various collections all have a different ancestral missions they intend to fulfil – each of the works are intentionally structured in terms of the names, the forms, the colours, and the textures giving them special meanings.

‘Umthwalo’ as a series is important in the sense that it highlights and seeks to find solutions for the burdens that Black women carry. At the same as they highlight the challenges, they also celebrate the strength and resilience of Black women. 

‘Ubuhle Bokhokho’ builds a greater awareness and appreciation for African culture, aesthetics and standards of beauty. It affirms those who have a closer affinity to celebrating their African features, texture of their hair and natural beauty from an African lens. 

‘iLobola’ is a way of strengthening African ways of building the family institution and to educate the world about the meaning of this important tradition in creating a culturally sound matrimony.

Describe the project you are working on now: I’m working on a few exciting pieces to be shown at international art fairs in 2025. I’m very proud of these new pieces and I’m looking forward to sharing their inspirations and meanings very soon. 

A new or forthcoming project we should know about: I’m working on the concept of my next solo show. I’m very excited about the vision I’ve been shown by my ancestors which is the most important part of my process. 

What you absolutely have to have in your studio: Music, snacks, art, vibes, etc.

Definitely music! Music plays an essential role in my overall creative process. I enjoy listening to African jazz and our indigenous sounds. It inspires me and helps me tune into the realm that channels the works and the meaning they are supposed to convey.

What you do when you’re not working: I absolutely adore spending time with my family because my job requires me to travel a lot and work long hours, leaving me with very little time to be with them. So every opportunity I get, I spend with family doing things that fulfil me and make up for the time I’ve spent away from them.

I also have a wonderful network of friends who in essence are also family to me. We connect over good food, conversation and music as often as we can.

Sources of creative envy:

The advantage of working with a consummate professional artist helps me a lot to push boundaries and explore my creative capital. I am a person who consumes a lot of art but I can’t say there is work that I wish I could have produced myself. I sincerely and genuinely celebrate the creative prowess of others – I take much inspiration – but I do feel sufficiently blessed with my own talents and skills. I believe wholeheartedly in what I produce and the path I’m on as an artist.

The distraction you want to eliminate: Attending to business administration in the form of meetings, phone calls and also keeping tabs on social media. I truly wish I could minimise the amount of time I spend on business- related matters and just focus on my work, but I guess it’s also part and parcel of the creative world. 

Concrete or marble? Marble.

High-Rise Or Townhouse? High-Rise.

Remember Or Forget? Remember.

Aliens Or Ghosts? Ghosts.

Dark Or Light? Light.