Artist of the day

Wednesday, June 10, 2026

Artist of the Day, June 10, 2026 : Noria Muelwa Mabasa, a South African artist, sculptor, carver (#2549)

Noria Muelwa Mabasa (1938) is a South African artist renowned for her exceptional woodcarving skills. She's known for her intricate sculptures that often reflect themes of African culture, spirituality, and everyday life. Mabasa's work has been exhibited internationally, and she's considered one of the leading contemporary artists in South Africa. Her journey and dedication to her craft inspire many within and beyond the art world.

Noria Mabasa completed one year of formal education at a school located three hours walking distance from her childhood home, but had to discontinue schooling because of household chores. In 1965 she began having recurring dreams of an old woman who showed her how to work in the clay medium, and prompted her to receive local training on the traditional craft. Her first clay figures were often small and were mostly given away to local children. She continues to create work inspired by the messages and visions of her dreams.

She began working with clay in 1974 and two years later, in 1976, she became the first Tsonga woman to work in wood. She received local training.

Mabasa has been working as an artist since 1976. She was encouraged to begin woodcarving after the suggestion of Venda sculptor Nelson Makhuba in 1983. Her earliest figures were modelled after clay and wood matano figures used in domba initiation ceremonies. Mabasa initially found recognition on both the national and international art scenes in the 1980s with her ceramic figures painted with enamel paint. Her naturalistic figures are coil-built and fired in an open straw fire. Her current work combines the figurative and the functional; pots often take the shape of the female figure or feature faces.

Known for her pottery and wood sculptures, she is a recipient of the 2002 Silver category of the Order of the Baobab, also receiving several other national and international accolades and awards for her outstanding artistry and creativity.

Mabasa's works deal mostly with the metaphysical and feminine, particularly issues pertaining to women, as well as subjects of Venda mythology and spirituality. She mainly works with clay from her local river bank and wood for her art pieces. Her choice to create wooden sculptures was partly informed by practicality - she stated that wood "isn't as fragile as clay."

© 2026. All content on this blog is protected by international copyright laws All images are copyrighted © by Noria Muelwa Mabasa or assignee. Apart from fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, the use of any image from this site is prohibited unless prior written permission is obtained. All images used for illustrative purposes only

Ms. Noria Muelwa Mabasa

... at work!

South African Colored Corps Figure, 1980

Mother and child, 1999

The Judge, 1999

Young Girl, 1999

Bird and Snake, c.2000

Crocodile and Buck, c.2000

Drummer, c.2000

Kneeling Female Figure, c.2000

Kneeling Figure, c.2000

Kneeling figures, c.2000

Kneeling Nude Vessel, c.2000

Kneeling Venda Maidens, c.2000

MabasaKneeling Woman, c.2000

Man Wrestling a Snake, c.2000

Mother and Child, c.2000

Refective Man, c.2000

Traditional dancers, c.2000

Venda Maiden, c.2000

Young Woman. c.2000

Clay pot II, c.2000

Duck Vessel, c.2000

Mozambican Flood, 2002

Traditional Maidens, 2002

The Snake Man / Tharu, 2006

The Lady who is Waiting to Teach the Young Initiates, 2008

Snake with Dog, 2011

Woman kneeling, 2011

Tuesday, June 9, 2026

Artist of the Day, June 9, 2026 : Marie Boulanger, graphic artist, typographer, designer (#2548)

Based in London but originally from Paris, Marie Boulanger is the Design Lead at Monotype, guiding the brand’s visual voice. She studied linguistics, graphic design and type design and is particularly interested in the intersection of those disciplines. Prior to joining Monotype, Marie worked in branding agencies and foundries in Europe, the USA and Canada, creating custom type for a variety of clients.

London, England, December 8th, 2023 – Monotype, a global leader in type design and technology, has announced the appointment of Marie Boulanger to Design Team Lead within the new Creative Development and Production department at Monotype.

For Marie, typography is a lifelong passion. She consistently pushes the cultural conversation when it comes to linguistics and type design, as with her research in her book, XX, XY: Sex, letters and stereotypes, investigating the relationship between letters and gender stereotypes and the impacts on the design world using beautifully illustrative examples and expert interviews. Also fascinated by the cultural zeitgeist of typography, Marie’s commentary on Wes Anderson’s use of type as nostalgia in The French Dispatch was the most read article on Creative Boom in 2022.

Marie joined Monotype in 2021, working on typeface campaigns such as Cotford, Akzidenz-Grotesk, and Shorai Sans.

French-British Marie has also been a key figure in the ongoing cross-cultural research project, “Typography Matters,” in collaboration with applied neuroscience company Neurons. The research offers fresh insights on how different font styles make us feel, with significant variation by cultural context and geographical location. Initially a UK-wide study, it has since expanded into Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Portugal, Spain, and the US. This research has significant implications for brands seeking to convey particular feelings to their customers. Boulanger has presented the research findings at high-profile events such as Brand Talks Paris and Adobe MAX.

Marie Boulanger, Design Team Lead at Monotype, said, “It fills me with an enormous sense of pride and accomplishment to be promoted to Design Team Lead within the new Creative Development and Production department. I am excited to grow and nurture our talented team of designers and expand Monotype’s design capabilities as well as harness the power and relevance of typography.”

© 2026. All content on this blog is protected by international copyright laws All images are copyrighted © by Marie Boulanger / Monotype or assignee. Apart from fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, the use of any image from this site is prohibited unless prior written permission is obtained. All images used for illustrative purposes only