Ukuzila: ndiyakuthanda sis'Nosipho, ndiyakuthanda sis'wam

By: Asemahle Ntlonti

We all grieve and mourn differently. Ukuzila, a cleansing ceremony usually occurring the day after the funeral, is a ritual that is undertaken by the women of the bereaved family. The basis of the ritual is a cathartic process of cleansing both the body as well as the clothes of the living and the dead. This work attempts to reflect on and deal with loss, grief and cleansing within the personal archive of the artist’s family.