Buhlebezwe Siwani

As a Sangoma, a traditional spiritual healer, Buhlebezwe Siwani explores the relationship between ancestral rituals and modern life in South Africa. Her own body often plays a central role in her performances, photography, sculptures and installations. The artist draws on her personal experience to illuminate socio-political themes, such as the Black female body, colonial history, Black communities and the tensions and paradoxes of modern-day society.  

(left) Buhlebezwe Siwani. Photo: J. Jockel . (right) Buhlebezwe Siwani, Isaziso 1996, 2023. Photo: Kristien Daem, with thanks to Kunstinstituut Melly, Rotterdam, 2023.

For the Prix de Rome, Buhlebezwe Siwani addresses the limited historical awareness in the Netherlands of the deeply rooted colonial ties between the country and South Africa. As a Black South African woman, she confronts this Dutch history every day. Through her work, Siwani challenges the audience to face this colonial past.

The jury on Buhlebezwe Siwani

The jury commends Buhlebezwe Siwani for successfully combining politics, biography, spirituality and imagination in her oeuvre. Her work, focused on the patriarchal norm and its influence on the Black female body, encompasses various forms of expression while maintaining a consistent level of quality. The jury praises the artist’s visual translation of her experiences within the South African context, and how this engages an international audience.

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