Artist
Andile Dyalvane
South Africa
Xhosa traditions. Monumental scale.
He grew up making clay oxen by the river—now his work fills museums on four continents.
Andile Dyalvane learned to work clay as a child in rural Eastern Cape, South Africa. Today his monumental vessels—scarified with marks that reference Xhosa body decoration and spiritual practices—command spaces in the Metropolitan Museum, the Denver Art Museum, and galleries worldwide. He co-founded Imiso Ceramics in Cape Town. Each piece carries Xhosa words and concepts: uBuhle (beauty), iThongo (ancestors), iLobola (bride wealth).
What knowledge from your childhood might transform your work?