“It is always a combination of the joyful and emotional moments whenever I start to lay these “Flowers like Stars” symbols in my paintings. They are a reflection of the energy that has been passed on to me through the bloodline of my grandmother as guidance to be fearless, to learn to appreciate, to purify the soul, and to connect with my spiritual entities in favor to unwrap my universal gifts. They are a poetic symbol that is easily drawn to understand the peace of the moon, moon as in our dark beautiful faces that appears to be black. When I paint these faces in juxtaposition with these symbols, I feel accompanied and purposeful. As a kid who grew up playing in the fields a lot, my grandmother will always advise me not to destroy the “Lucky flowers” this grew a curiosity about their purpose and she said “I will tell you one day but just know, they carry our fortunes”, it has been three years after she had passed on, but her teachings is the attitude I give to the world, My work is not about finding my identity, I know exactly who I am and where I am from, I know about my richness and the wisdom of my people. The layers of blackness I give to these faces are the assurance of our kind.” - Wonder Buhle, 2020.
BKhz by Banele Khoza, Johannesburg, South Africa