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Ceramist to share evolutionary story

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South African ceramic artist Madoda Fani will be artist in residence at Denmark Arts from August to September.

Madoda’s African heritage inspires his hand-coiled, burnished and smoke-fired pieces that are a contemporary evolution of the traditional ceramics of his country.

While in Denmark he will present talks, demonstrations and workshops telling of his practice and Xhosa heritage.

Madoda will exhibit at the Bunbury Regional Art Gallery from August 10 to October 27 as part of the Indian Ocean Craft Triennial.

He grew up in Gugulethu, Cape Town and studied graphic design at Sivuyile College.

In 2000, his work was selected for the Salon Internationale de l’Artisanat de Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso where he met the ceramicist, Simon Masilo, who introduced him to smoke firing.

In 2009, he moved to Johannesburg to deepen his craft, guided by Masilo, and then at the Kim Sacks School of Ceramics.

He learned to burnish clay with a stone from Jabu Nala, the daughter of Zulu beer-pot maker Nesta Nala, and mastered smoke-firing techniques guided by Nic Sithole.

Madoda’s curvaceous, coiled forms and hand-carved embellishments are distinct.

He works on a large scale, building organic-shaped vessels whose smooth surfaces are punctuated by intricate patterns that give them a scaled, insectlike appearance. https://indianoceancrafttriennial.com/

Denmark Bulletin 11 July 2024

This article appeared in the Denmark Bulletin, 11 July 2024.

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