Artist: Umseme Uyakhuluma

Doyle Wham presents the first worldwide solo exhibition of Umseme Uyakhuluma, an all-female artistic collective whose eponymous project is inspired by ancient forms of communication on the African continent. In this deeply spiritual exploration, the artists imagine the possibilities of connection and communication across different realms of existence, and across physical and non-physical spaces.

“Umseme Uyakhuluma” directly translated means “the straw mat speaks” and refers to one of Africa’s oldest methods of recording information using grass. One of the many historical applications of straw mats has been the transmission of sacred messages, particularly through the evolution of Bantu symbol writing into a form of steganography (the practice of concealing information). This type of coded communication is preserved today in the Ndebele tribe in South Africa, among others, and called “Umgwalo”.

Umseme Uyakhuluma is a collective project made up of Zana Masombuka (aka Ndebele Superhero), Lafalaise Dion, Tsholofelo Maseko, Mapula Lehong, Boiphelo Khunou and Bontle Juku. The core team were supported by a larger cast and crew of women of all ages.