Nosipho Booi

VIRTUAL TOUR

The Politics of Fracture and Form

My art explores themes of resilience, joy, and empowerment, tracing my journey from childhood to womanhood. In my ceramics, mark-making goes beyond decoration—it becomes a tool for motivation, illustrating victory over discouragement, overcoming hopelessness, and the transcendence of personal limitations. 

Through artistic expression, I celebrate empowerment and cultivate resilience by giving form to sensation, memory, and lived experience. My work is deeply inspired by the childhood memories and an interest in the beauty of imperfection. Each piece embodies self-expression and reflects the transformative journey of clay, which endures a demanding process to reach its final form. The vessels reference objects associated with celebration and decorations, such as jewellery, bags, heels, and umbhaco, the traditional Xhosa attire. Closing cracking gaps with ceramic buttons serves as a metaphor for unification and connection, bringing separate elements into cohesion. 

Abstract mapping and spherical forms evoke the universe I explore in pursuit of transformation, offering spaces for curiosity, reflection, emotional connection, and idea generation. The lines etched into my work represent metaphorical paths toward personal and artistic growth. I use grogged clay to symbolize hardship, while burnishing reflects the shift from roughness to softness. Copper oxides signify power and resilience, and the stitching process embodies my ability to integrate past experiences and toxic memories into meaningful, beautiful forms. Open vases with organic shapes symbolize periods of expansion and the evolution of the inner self, while closing them represents releasing the past and accepting the unchangeable. 

Vibrant underglaze colors express joy, and visible crack, broken vessels remind me of challenges and failures that shaped my journey. They inspire me to embrace the imperfections inherent in human existence. Alteration is a metaphor symbol used to beautify the imperfection. Fashion also informs my work, contributing to my confidence and aesthetic vocabulary. 

Through my work, I am creating a warm, welcoming, and safe space where we transform traumas into objects for play. In doing so, I aim to create a playground for those who feel their childhood happiness was taken away from them. Working with clay demands focus and attention, fostering a dialogue between myself and the medium, allowing lived experiences and emotions to shape each piece. 

To deepen my practice, I reflect on how my work resonates with other artists, including Xanthe Somers, Kintsugi, Yeesookyung, Ben Orkin, and Mary Sibande. Through this, I situate my exploration of empowerment and transformation within a broader conversation about materiality, memory, and identity.