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

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."

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