adminMbongeni Msimanga Sunday Leisure Correspondent
IN what is clearly a collaborative effort between the arts industry and the rural community, a cultural project dubbed My Beautiful Home — Comba Indlu Ngobuciko has sent communities in rural Matobo into frenzy as they compete to preserve the cultural hut painting legacy. The project is the brain child of the Amagugu International Heritage Centre that is owned by historian Pathisa Nyathi.
Although hut painting formed the basis of community art where women do art without necessarily realising it while at the same time preserving culture in the African tradition, it was on a decline due to modernisation that saw many a people move to the city while some households could afford cement and paint and resort to do it the modern way.
This year’s awards saw a big leap from last year’s 30 entries to 300 entries for the competition.
The awards ceremonies were graced by the Deputy Minister of Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development, Abigail Damasane.
The My Beautiful Home competition is a collaborative project by Veronique Actalla, Pathisa Nyathi, John Knight, Butholezwe Nyathi, Violette Kee-Tui, Dr. Andre F van Rooyen and Clifford Zulu.
In an interview with Sunday Leisure, committee member Butholezwe Nyathi said the reception to the competition this year caught the interest of many in Matobo district as more homesteads registered for the competition.
Last year 30 homesteads registered for the competition from two wards and there has been a significant increase to 300 homesteads this year as the competition was expanded to seven wards.
“The main aim of the competition is to revitalise the tradition of hut painting in the rural areas as it had deteriorated because of modernisation. Interestingly, this year there were more households that registered, with 300 homesteads taking part in the competition. We are hoping to have more homesteads taking part in the competition next year,” he said.
Hut painting is a cultural practice exclusively done by women using natural pigments such as soil, ash, and charcoal and burnt grass.
The pigments are mixed with water to come up with different colours. No paint brushes are used but the women use their open palms to paint the huts.
With the corporate world coming to support the competition this year, there were more categories this year namely the Most Innovative Design, Best Overall Homestead, Best Interior, or “Iziko”, the Best Exterior and the Photographer’s Choice Award.
The winner for the inaugural Most Innovative Design award was won by Sithandisiwe Nyathi while the Best Overall Homestead award was won by Doreen Nyathi.
The Photographer’s Choice Awards, a set of high quality sketch pads and pastels, went to Sikhanyiso Ngwenya and Thokozile Dube while the Best Interior or “Iziko” was won by Sithembiso Sibanda with the Best Exterior award going to Thulisa Ndlovu.
“Hut painting is done by women using natural pigments and thus the competition benefits them primarily. With the incredible generosity of local companies in sponsoring prizes, we have been able to increase last year’s number 10 fold to 77 prize winners. And believe it or not, we still struggled to award places to all the deserving entries,” said Butholezwe Nyathi.
Butholezwe Nyathi said the competition was being held under Chief Masuku’s area with the chief expressing optimism that the competition had given most villagers renewed enthusiasm and energy in preserving their art and culture.
He said it was pleasing that most villagers still exhibited the skill that they had learnt from their fore-fathers and the paintings symbolised wide ranging themes that they experienced in their everyday life.
“We are glad that most people have welcomed the idea of the competition and it is pleasing that culture has not been lost as evidenced by the number of people who have registered for the competition. Many homesteads are also adopting the trend because they are carrying over a skill that they learnt from their forefathers,” said Butholezwe Nyathi.
Butholezwe Nyathi added that it was their wish to see the competition growing even further, to other districts in the region and eventually throughout the country.
However, he expressed gratitude for the support that they got from local companies saying the competition would not have been a success without the support of the corporate world, Amagugu International Heritage Centre and the National Art Gallery.
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