SEBIDI, HELEN

‘She is Greeting’ (2015) embodies Helen Sebidi’s own channeling of her ancestors, a critical component of her artistic practice, who both inspire and guide her as she works. The female figure kneels as if in prayer, greeting spirits beyond our physical world and inviting them into her presence. The striking aesthetic parallels between Sebidi’s sculpture and the Luba Sanza are evident, the waist-like shape of the Sanza echoes the feminine silhouette of Sebidi’s figure, the folds of her skirt rippling down like the fanned tines of the instrument. They share the sacred role of welcoming and honouring the ancestors into the physical realm.

Image and Text Source: Everard Reed