Left:
One of the local women
who participate in the
cultural empowerment
project Monkcybiz.
Right (top to bottom):
Monkcybiz artists
Makosi Molise
JVhite Longhorn Bokkie;
Ncedile Ntloko
Blue Longhorn Bokkie;
Nokude Mpakati
Red and Blue Bokki;
wire, cotton and beads,
each T2% x 10V5 x 3 ’/: i n.
Opposite:
Nicholas Hlbo
Ingubo Tesiswe,
2008,
leather, rubber, gauze,
ribbon, steel, found
ball-and-claw chair leg,
butcher’s hook, chain,
8
‘/
4
x
5
X
9
8
ft.
T o v i s i t C a p e T o w n is t o b e t r a n s p o r t e d
t o a w o r l d o f g r e a t n a t u r a l b e a u t y a n d
a c o m p le x h is t o r y . S it u a t e d o n t h e s o u t h e r n
t ip o f t h e A f r i c a n c o n t in e n t o n t h e s h o r e
o f T a b le B a y , C a p e T o w n is t h e s e c o n d -m o s t
p o p u lo u s c i t y in S o u t h A f r i c a , t h e la r g e s t
in la n d a r e a , a n d o n e o f t h e m o s t m u lt ir a c ia l
a n d m u lt ic u lt u r a l p la c e s o n e a r th . T h e C a p e
r e g io n ’ s in d ig e n o u s p e o p l e s w e r e jo in e d
b y E u r o p e a n s a s lo n g a g o a s 1 6 5 2 , w h e n t h e
D u t c h e s t a b lis h e d a s e t t le m e n t t h e r e , w h ic h
s o o n d r e w o t h e r im m ig r a n ts fr o m E u r o p e
a n d ( s o m e i n v o lu n t a r i ly ) f r o m o t h e r p a r t s
o f A f r i c a a n d A s i a , a n d t h e h u b o f a c o lo n y
w a s b o r n . T h e c u lt u r a l d i v e r s i t y o f C a p e
T o w n is r e f l e c t e d in t h e c r a f t a n d a r t t h a t
c a n b e fo u n d t h e r e , s o m e o f it u n iq u e t o th is
p a r t o f t h e w o r ld .
T h e n a tu r a l a m p h it h e a t e r - s h a p e d a r e a
b e l o w T a b l e M o u n t a in , k n o w n a s t h e C i t y
B o w l , h a s e x t r a o r d in a r y g a lle r ie s , c r a f t
m a r k e t s a n d m u s e u m s t h a t e m b r a c e C a p e
T o w n ’s e c le c t i c h e r it a g e . T h e I z i k o S o u t h
A f r i c a n N a t io n a l G a lle r y h o u s e s a s p le n d id
c o lle c t io n o f S o u t h A f r i c a n , A f r ic a n , B r it is h ,
F r e n c h , D u t c h a n d F le m i s h a r t p r o v id in g
in s ig h t in t o th e r a n g e o f a e s th e t ic p r o d u c t io n
in t h e c o u n t r y o v e r t h e c e n t u r ie s . O f p a r -
t ic u la r im p o r t a n c e is t h e m u s e u m ’s c o ll e c -
t io n o f S o u t h A f r i c a n b e a d w o r k . T h i s c r a f t
is c u lt u r a l ly s ig n if ic a n t s in c e i t w a s t r a d i-
t io n a l ly a f o r m o f c r e a t i v e e x p r e s s io n f o r
w o m e n p r e d o m in a n t ly fr o m t h e X h o s a a n d
Z u l u t r ib e s . T o d a y i t h a s b lo s s o m e d in t o
a v a r ie d a n d fa s c in a t in g c r a f t fo r m .
B a r b a r a J a c k s o n a n d S h ir le y F i n t z h a v e
f o u n d a n o t h e r w a y t o e m b r a c e S o u t h
A f r i c a ’ s e c l e c t i c h e r it a g e . I n 2 0 0 0 t h e t w o
a r t is t s fo u n d e d t h e c u lt u r a l e m p o w e r m e n t
p r o je c t M o n k c y b i z , w i t h t h e g o a l t o a lle v i-
a te p o v e r t y in t h e C a p e t o w n s h i p s ( a r e a s
t h a t h a d g r o w n u p u n d e r a p a r t h e id ) a n d
t r a n s f e r s k ills t o u n e d u c a t e d a n d u n e m -
p lo y e d w o m e n . T h e w o m e n c r e a t e m a g ic a l
s c u lp t u r a l a n im a ls in s p ir e d b y t h e w i ld li f e
o f s o u t h e r n A f r i c a —b r i g h t l y p a t t e r n e d e l -
e p h a n t s , a n t e lo p e s a n d r h in o c e r o s e s t h a t
e lic it s m ile s a t t h e p la y f u l in g e n u it y o f th e>
apr/may 10 american craft 067
