Over the past decade, Zizipho Poswa has transformed one of the oldest artistic materials into a language for speaking about inheritance, labour, ritual and womanhood. With iMbewu (The Seed) at Southern Guild’s New York gallery, the artist presents her most substantial survey to date, bringing together works that trace the evolution of a practice rooted in Eastern Cape histories while resonating far beyond them.

The exhibition takes its title from the isiXhosa word for “seed”, a fitting metaphor for an artist whose sculptures often begin with intimate acts of remembrance before expanding into forms of remarkable physical presence. Across nearly ten years of work, Poswa has returned repeatedly to the cultural knowledge carried by women: ceremonial traditions, familial rituals, hairstyles, vessels, objects of protection, and the often-unseen responsibilities that sustain communities across generations.

Many visitors will recognise the towering ceramic forms from her ongoing Umthwalo series, inspired by the Xhosa practice of carrying goods on the head. In Poswa’s hands, these everyday gestures become monumental structures that acknowledge the visible and invisible burdens borne by women. What could easily be read as sculpture alone reveals itself as a form of tribute.

Originally trained in textile design, Poswa brings an acute sensitivity to pattern, rhythm and surface to clay. Her hand-coiled works retain traces of their making, preserving a sense of touch even at an architectural scale. The result is work that feels simultaneously ancestral and contemporary, grounded in lived experience yet formally ambitious enough to command attention within the world’s leading museums and collections.

Rather than presenting a career summary, iMbewu suggests an artist still in motion. The exhibition positions each body of work as part of a continuing cycle of growth, where ideas are carried forward, transformed and replanted. It is a fitting first exhibition for Poswa in Southern Guild’s new Tribeca space and a reminder of the growing international influence of artists working from distinctly African points of reference.

The exhibition is accompanied by a major monograph published by Southern Guild, documenting the development of Poswa’s practice over the last decade.

Opening: Friday, 26 June 2026, 6pm
Panel Discussion, Book Launch & Signing: Wednesday, 1 July 2026, 6pm

Southern Guild New York